Fibromodulin facilitates the osteogenic effect of Masquelet's induced membrane by inhibiting the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway

Masquelet's induced membrane (IM) technique is a promising treatment strategy for the repair of substantial bone defects. The formation of an IM around polymethylmethacrylate bone cement plays a crucial role in this technique. Several studies have indicated that IMs have bioactivity because they contain abundant blood vessels, a variety of cells, and biological factors. The bioactivity of an IM increases during the initial stages of formation, thereby facilitating bone regeneration and remodeling. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms underlying the enhancement of IM bioactivity and the promotion of bone regeneration necessitate further investigation. In this study, we successfully developed a Masquelet IM model of critical femur defects in rats. By employing proteomics analysis and biological detection techniques, we identified fibromodulin (FMOD) as a pivotal factor contributing to angiogenesis and the enhanced bioactivity of the IM. A significant increase in angiogenesis and the expression of bioactive factors in the IM was also observed with the upregulation of FMOD expression. Furthermore, this effect is mediated through the inhibition of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)/SMAD signaling pathway. We also demonstrated that administering recombinant human FMOD enhanced osteogenesis in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro. Furthermore, the negative regulatory effect of the TGF-β signaling pathway was verified. In conclusion, this study provides a novel theoretical basis for the application of IMs in bone-defect reconstruction and explores possible new mechanisms that may play an important role in promoting the bioactivity and osteogenic potential of IMs.

The dissipative Talbot soliton fiber laser

Talbot effect, characterized by the replication of a periodic optical field in a specific plane, is governed by diffraction and dispersion in the spatial and temporal domains, respectively. In mode-locked lasers, Talbot effect is rarely linked with soliton dynamics since the longitudinal mode spacing and cavity dispersion are far away from the self-imaging condition. We report switchable breathing and stable dissipative Talbot solitons in a multicolor mode-locked fiber laser by manipulating the frequency difference of neighboring spectra. The temporal Talbot effect dominates the laser emission state-in the breathing state when the integer self-imaging distance deviates from the cavity length and in the steady state when it equals the cavity length. A refined Talbot theory including dispersion and nonlinearity is proposed to accurately depict this evolution behavior. These findings pave an effective way to control the operation in dissipative optical systems and open branches in the study of nonlinear physics.

Suppression of Overactive Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Attenuates Trauma-Induced Heterotopic Ossification in Mice

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the ectopic bone formation in soft tissues. Aside from hereditary HO, traumatic HO is common after orthopedic surgery, combat-related injuries, severe burns, or neurologic injuries. Recently, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was demonstrated to be involved in the chondrogenic and osteogenic processes of HO formation. However, its upstream signaling mechanism remains unknown. The current study used an Achilles tendon puncture-induced HO model to show that overactive insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) was involved in the progression of HO in mice. Micro-computed tomography imaging showed that IGF-1 not only accelerated the rate of osteogenesis and increased ectopic bone volume but also induced spontaneous ectopic bone formation in undamaged Achilles tendons. Blocking IGF-1 activity with IGF-1 antibody or IGF-1 receptor inhibitor picropodophyllin significantly inhibited HO formation. Mechanistically, IGF-1/IGF-1 receptor activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling to promote the phosphorylation of mTOR, resulting in the chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation of tendon-derived stem cells into chondrocytes and osteoblasts in vitro and in vivo. Inhibitors of PI3K (LY294002) and mTOR (rapamycin) both suppressed the IGF-1-stimulated mTOR signal and mitigated the formation of ectopic bones significantly. In conclusion, these results indicate that IGF-1 mediated the progression of traumatic HO through PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, and suppressing IGF-1 signaling cascades attenuated HO formation, providing a promising therapeutic strategy targeting HO.

MAPRE3 as an epigenetic target of EZH2 restricts ovarian cancer proliferation in vitro and in vivo

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a lethal gynecologic cancer and the common cause of death within women worldwide. The polycomb group protein enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase highly expressed in various tumors, including OC. However, the mechanistic basis of EZH2 oncogenic activity in OC remain incompletely understood. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the expression of MAPRE3 was lower in OC tissues than in normal tissues, and was positively correlated with the overall survival. MAPRE3 overexpression decreased cell growth, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in OC cells, whereas MAPRE3 silencing promoted proliferation and accelerated cell cycle progression of OC cells. The in vivo study validated that overexpression of MAPRE3 impeded tumor formation and growth of OC xenografts in nude mice. In addition, knockdown of EZH2 in OC cells downregulated H3K27me3 expression and increased MAPRE3 expression. Inhibiting EZH2 in OC cells reduced the enrichment of H3K27me3 on the promoter of MAPRE3. Furthermore, MAPRE3 silencing significantly reversed changes in the expression of cell cycle and apoptosis-related markers and cell growth mediated by EZH2 knockdown in OC cells. MAPRE3 functions as a suppressor of OC and is epigenetic repressed by EZH2, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for OC by targeting EZH2/MAPRE3 axis.

Linear coupling-related pulse splitting in fiber lasers

We demonstrate a unique pulse-splitting mechanism dominated by the linear coupling between two vector modes in a mode-locked fiber laser using polarization-maintaining fiber. As the linear coupling strength increases, the pulse experiences larger perturbations and manifests as stronger spectral sidebands. Correspondingly, the temporal pedestals possessing a higher intensity become untrapped and eventually evolve into a stable pulse. Such linear coupling-related pulse splitting is ubiquitous both in normal- and anomalous-dispersion regimes, fundamentally differing from that induced by the excessive nonlinear phase shift. Experimental observations fully sustain numerical results and provide a flexible approach to managing the number and energy of vector solitons.

Comparison of osteogenic activity from different parts of induced membrane in the Masquelet technique

BACKGROUND

The Masquelet technique is widely used to treat long-bone segmental defects because of its high success rate and low surgical difficulty. However, the cause of the uneven growth of bone grafts following this procedure remains unclear.

METHODS

Rats were randomly divided into four groups for analysis 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-weeks postoperatively and underwent a uniform surgical procedure to construct a 10 mm bone defect in the right posterior branch of the femur. Induced membrane specimens were harvested at the appropriate time points and divided into segments according to their location. Bone growth activity was assessed by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Mature blood vessels were more densely distributed at the proximal end of the bone defect than at other locations at all time points. The number of blood vessels on the same side of the longitudinal axis of the femur also varied depending on location. The difference between the proximal-anterior and distal-anterior regions within the induced membranes was most pronounced at 6 weeks postoperatively and decreased by 8 weeks postoperatively. The differences between the proximal-posterior and distal-posterior regions within the induced membranes were more pronounced. The expression of the growth factors bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA), and transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) in the proximal-posterior regions of the bone defect was almost always higher than that in other regions at the same time point. The expression of BMP-2 in the posterior regions of the bone defect was always higher than that in the anterior regions at the same end of the femoral longitudinal axis.

CONCLUSION

The number and maturation of vessels in the proximal region of the induced membrane at the bone defect site were higher than those in the distal region, and the expression of growth factors was higher, with the highest induced membrane activity in the proximal-posterior regions of the bone defect. Therefore, there was inhomogeneity in induced membrane activity.

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a modulation of apoptosis in acidosis-related diseases: implications for therapeutic intervention

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), a prominent member of the acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) superfamily activated by extracellular protons, is ubiquitously expressed throughout the human body, including the nervous system and peripheral tissues. Excessive accumulation of Ca2+ ions via ASIC1a activation may occur in the acidified microenvironment of blood or local tissues. ASIC1a-mediated Ca2+‑induced apoptosis has been implicated in numerous pathologies, including neurological disorders, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. This review summarizes the role of ASIC1a in the modulation of apoptosis via various signaling pathways across different disease states to provide insights for future studies on the underlying mechanisms and development of therapeutic strategies.

Contrastive self-supervised learning for diabetic retinopathy early detection

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the major cause of blindness, which seriously threatens the world's vision health. Limited medical resources make early diagnosis and a large-scale screening of DR difficult. Most of the current automatic diagnostic methods are mostly based on deep learning and large-scale labeled data. However, the insufficiency of manual annotations for medical images still is a great challenge of training deep neural networks. Self-supervised learning methods are proposed to learn general features from dataset without manual annotations. Inspired by this, we proposed a deep learning based DR classification model (SimCLR-DR). In this paper, we first use contrastive self-learning algorithm to pre-train the encoder based on convolution network with unlabeled retinal images, then retrain the encoder with classifier on a small annotated training data to detect referable DR. The experimental results on Kaggle dataset show that this proposed method can overcome the training data insufficiency problem and performs better than transfer learning. SimCLR-DR is a good beginning for other deep learning based medical image detection approaches facing the challenge of insufficient annotated data. Figure presents an overview of the proposed framework, which contains three main steps: (i) Data preprocessing; (ii) Pretext task of SimCLR-DR based on contrastive learning; (iii) Downstream Task of SimCLRDR based on CNN.

HDAC2 exacerbates rheumatoid arthritis progression via the IL-17-CCL7 signaling pathway

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) have been reported to regulate the immune response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current study aimed to explore key HDACs and their molecular mechanism in RA. First, the expression of HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3 and HDAC8 in RA synovial tissue was determined by qRT-PCR. The effects of HDAC2 on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) in vitro were studied. Furthermore, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat models were established to evaluate the severity of arthritis in joints, and the levels of inflammatory factors were examined by immunohistochemistry staining, ELISA, and qRT-PCR. Transcriptome sequencing was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with HDAC2 silencing in the synovial tissue of CIA rat, and downstream signaling pathways were predicted by enrichment analysis. The results showed that HDAC2 was highly expressed in the synovial tissue of RA patients and CIA rats. Overexpressed HDAC2 promoted FLS proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited FLS apoptosis in vitro, resulting in secretion of inflammatory factors and RA exacerbation in vivo. There were 176 DEGs, including 57 downregulated and 119 upregulated genes, after silencing HDAC2 in CIA rats. DEGs were primarily enriched in Platinum drug resistance, IL-17 as well as the PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. CCL7, which was implicated in the IL-17 signaling pathway, was downregulated after HDAC2 silencing. Furthermore, CCL7 overexpression aggravated the development of RA, which was demonstrated to be effectively attenuated by HDAC2 suppression. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that HDAC2 exacerbated the progression of RA by regulating the IL-17-CCL7 signaling pathway, suggesting that HDAC2 may be a promising therapeutic target for RA treatment.

Self-consistent soliton evolution in single-two-mode fiber lasers

Ultrafast few-mode fiber lasers have received increasing attention from basic research to practical applications due to their unique pulse performance and intriguing nonlinear dynamics. Here, we experimentally and numerically reveal the formation and evolution behaviors of a soliton in a mode-locked fiber laser composed of two-mode and single-mode fibers. The LP₁₁ pulse walks away from the LP₀₁ pulse in the two-mode fiber due to modal dispersion and then transforms into an auxiliary LP₀₁ pulse after entering the single-mode fiber. After re-entering the two-mode fiber, the LP₀₁ pulse excites the LP₁₁ pulse via mode coupling; therefore, the LP₁₁ pulse also consists of dominant and auxiliary pulses. Such a soliton fiber laser converges to an asymptotic steady state with unlocked spatial modes arising from the interplay between the strong modal dispersion and weak mode coupling.

Anomalous soliton trapping in net-normal dispersion lasers

In a nonlinear optical system with birefringence such as fiber lasers, soliton trapping can be achieved when the fast (slow) component experiences blueshift (redshift) at normal dispersion to compensate for polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). In this Letter, we demonstrate an anomalous vector soliton (VS) whose fast (slow) component shifts to the red (blue) sides, which is opposite to traditional soliton trapping. It is found that the repulsion between the two components is induced by net-normal dispersion and PMD, while the attraction is ascribed to linear mode coupling and saturable absorption. The equilibrium of attraction and repulsion permits the self-consistent evolution of VSs circulating in the cavity. Our results indicate that the stability and dynamics of VSs are worth revisiting and studying in-depth, especially in lasers with complex configurations, despite it being a well-known object in nonlinear optics.

TMEM97 is transcriptionally activated by YY1 and promotes colorectal cancer progression via the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway

Transmembrane protein 97 (TMEM97) is a conserved integral membrane protein highly expressed in various human cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), and it exhibits pro-tumor roles in breast cancer, gastric cancer, and glioma. However, whether TMEM97 participates in CRC progression is not fully understood. The expression of mRNA and protein was evaluated by real-time qPCR, western blotting, immunofluorescent, and immunohistochemical staining. TMEM97 functions in cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed by CCK-8, flow cytometry, and transwell assays. The roles of TMEM97 in CRC cells in vivo was investigated using a subcutaneous xenograft model. The transcriptional regulation of TMEM97 was explored by luciferase reporter and ChIP assays. The silencing of TMEM97 inhibited migration and invasion of CRC cells in vitro and led to suppressed growth and enhanced apoptosis in CRC cells and xenografts, whereas overexpression of TMEM97 displayed opposite effects. Mechanistically, TMEM97 knockdown caused a reduction of the proliferating marker PCNA and an increase of pro-apoptotic proteins (cleaved caspase 8/3/7 and cleaved PARP) in CRC cells. TMEM97 also positively regulated the β-catenin signaling pathway in CRC cells and xenografts by modulating the phosphorylated-GSK-3β and active (non-phospho) β-catenin levels. Interestingly, YY1, a well-recognized oncogenic transcription factor, was identified to bind to the TMEM97 promoter and enhance its transcriptional activity, and silencing of TMEM97 abolished YY1-mediated pro-tumor effects on CRC cells. Our results suggest that TMEM97 is transcriptionally activated by YY1 and promotes CRC progression via the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway, providing that TMEM97 might be a novel therapeutic target for preventing CRC development.

Synchronous and asynchronous pulsating dual solitons in lasers

Pulsating solitons are intriguing objects in laser physics and nonlinear science. Recently, emerging works on the pulsating multi-solitons have raised interest in interactions and synchronizations within multiple breathers. However, with their separation of the order of nanoseconds, the evolution and underlying dynamics of multiple pulsating solitons remain uncharted. In this work, we bring initial insights into the pulsating dual-soliton (PDS) with a separation of three orders of magnitude of the pulse duration. Chaotic, synchronous, and asynchronous pulsations are revealed to be controlled by the pump power. Specifically, two solitons can pulsate synchronously in the form of a frozen limit cycle. The asynchronous PDS at a high pump power brings the rotating limit cycle in the phase space. Unveiling the evolutionary dynamics of PDS, this work has potential in all-optical storage, signal encoding, and time division multiplexing communications.

Internal dynamics in bound states of unequal solitons

The bound states (BSs) of solitons are found to have intriguing internal dynamics in ultrafast lasers. Here, we explore the binding mechanism and internal motions of asymmetric bound state (ABS) solitons constituted by unequal solitons at short-range with their tails directly overlapped. Experiments and simulations show that the periodic energy flux between two solitons, mediated by their overlapped tails, gives rise to a balanced separation and energy distribution across the ABS. The motion mechanisms of strong and weak solitons are discussed in detail. This work provides insights into the binding mechanism and internal dynamics of BSs.

Phase-matching-induced near-chirp-free solitons in normal-dispersion fiber lasers

Direct generation of chirp-free solitons without external compression in normal-dispersion fiber lasers is a long-term challenge in ultrafast optics. We demonstrate near-chirp-free solitons with distinct spectral sidebands in normal-dispersion hybrid-structure fiber lasers containing a few meters of polarization-maintaining fiber. The bandwidth and duration of the typical mode-locked pulse are 0.74 nm and 1.95 ps, respectively, giving the time-bandwidth product of 0.41 and confirming the near-chirp-free property. Numerical results and theoretical analyses fully reproduce and interpret the experimental observations, and show that the fiber birefringence, normal-dispersion, and nonlinear effect follow a phase-matching principle, enabling the formation of the near-chirp-free soliton. Specifically, the phase-matching effect confines the spectrum broadened by self-phase modulation and the saturable absorption effect slims the pulse stretched by normal dispersion. Such pulse is termed as birefringence-managed soliton because its two orthogonal-polarized components propagate in an unsymmetrical "X" manner inside the polarization-maintaining fiber, partially compensating the group delay difference induced by the chromatic dispersion and resulting in the self-consistent evolution. The property and formation mechanism of birefringence-managed soliton fundamentally differ from other types of pulses in mode-locked fiber lasers, which will open new research branches in laser physics, soliton mathematics, and their related applications.

In2S3 nanoparticles coupled to In-MOF nanorods: The structural and electronic modulation for synergetic photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B

Enhancing photocatalytic performance via electronic modulation have attracted much attention for synergetic photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic pollutant. In this study, a new hetero-structured system is raised, which comprises In₂S₃ coupled to In-MOF and operates as an efficient photocatalyst for RhB degradation. The formation of hetero-structure and occurred electron modulation of In₂S₃/In-MOF hybrid was confirmed by relevant characterizations. Surprisingly, the In₂S₃/In-MOF hybrid represented enhanced photocatalytic ability over In-MOF. The photocatalysis of Rhodamine B in presence of In₂S₃/In-MOF hybrid has achieved 92.2 % degradation.

Synchronized multi-wavelength soliton fiber laser via intracavity group delay modulation

Locking of longitudinal modes in laser cavities is the common path to generate ultrashort pulses. In traditional multi-wavelength mode-locked lasers, the group velocities rely on lasing wavelengths due to the chromatic dispersion, yielding multiple trains of independently evolved pulses. Here, we show that mode-locked solitons at different wavelengths can be synchronized inside the cavity by engineering the intracavity group delay with a programmable pulse shaper. Frequency-resolved measurements fully retrieve the fine temporal structure of pulses, validating the direct generation of synchronized ultrafast lasers from two to five wavelengths with sub-pulse repetition-rate up to ~1.26 THz. Simulation results well reproduce and interpret the key experimental phenomena, and indicate that the saturable absorption effect automatically synchronize multi-wavelength solitons in despite of the small residual group delay difference. These results demonstrate an effective approach to create synchronized complex-structure solitons, and offer an effective platform to study the evolution dynamics of nonlinear wavepackets.

Periodic attraction and repulsion within the tight-bound π-phase soliton molecule

In the over-pumped dissipative system, the single pulse is prone to split into multi-soliton modes, among which the soliton molecule (SM) comprising two pulses has attracted much interest recently. In this Letter, the tight-bound SM with the π-phase-difference, a soliton pair predicted to be unstable observed in fiber lasers, is found to have oscillating separation with excellent stability. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, we reveal the mechanism of the π-phase SM to circumvent the irreversible repulsion and the role of dispersive waves on the SM. During the periodic propagation, the destructive interference between solitons produces the repulsion while the dispersive waves give rise to the attractive force, leading to the dynamic oscillating behavior of the SM. The numerical simulation reproduces the experimental observation and offers panoramic insights into the nonlinear interactions between multiple components in dissipative systems.

E2F1-induced upregulation of lncRNA HCG18 stimulates proliferation and migration in gastric cancer by binding to miR-197-3p

OBJECTIVE

LncRNA HCG18 is considered to be an oncogene in many types of tumors. The aim of this study was to explore the role of lncRNA HCG18 in gastric cancer (GC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

HCG18 levels in GC tissues were detected. Potential biological influences of HCG18 on GC cell phenotypes were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing and transwell assay. Subsequently, bioinformatics analysis, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), Luciferase assay and rescue experiments were conducted to identify the regulatory network of HCG18 in GC.

RESULTS

It was found that HCG18 was upregulated in GC samples, and the knockdown of HCG18 inhibited proliferative and migratory abilities in GC. The transcription factor E2F1 could directly bind to the promoter region of HCG18 and thus activate its transcription. In addition, HCG18 sponged miR-197-3p to stimulate the malignant development of GC.

CONCLUSIONS

HCG18 is upregulated in GC samples by E2F1 induction, which stimulates proliferative and migratory abilities in GC by binding to miR-197-3p.

Suppression of TGF-beta activity with remobilization attenuates immobilization-induced joint contracture in rats

BACKGROUND

Joint contracture is a common complication of joint injury. This study aimed to assess the effect of inhibiting the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling during joint immobilization and remobilization on immobilization-induced joint contracture in rats.

METHODS

The knees of rats were immobilized using Kirschner wires following trauma to the femoral condyles to generate joint contracture. After immobilization, levels of TGF-β and passive extension range of motion (ROM) were measured at different time points, joints were histologically analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson trichrome staining, and the expression of inflammatory or fibrosis-related mediators, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), phosphorylated Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen types I (Col 1) and III (Col 3), were examined in joint capsules using immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Rats were also treated with LY2157299, a TGF-β receptor I kinase inhibitor, at different stages of immobilization and remobilization.

RESULTS

TGF-β1 levels in the serum and the number of p-Smad2/3⁺ cells in the joint capsule were significantly elevated after immobilization. ROM decreased during the 6 weeks of immobilization and partly recovered after remobilization. After treatment with LY2157299 during immobilization, the restricted ROM moderately increased, but this effect was stronger when combined with active motion. Mechanistically, the expression of IL-1β, TGF-β, fibrosis-related factors, and the density of collagen significantly decreased after treatment with LY2157299.

CONCLUSIONS

Inhibiting TGF-β signaling paired with active motion effectively attenuated the formation of immobilization-induced joint contracture in rats.

Magnetic plasmon resonances in nanostructured topological insulators for strongly enhanced light-MoS2 interactions

Magnetic resonances not only play crucial roles in artificial magnetic materials but also offer a promising way for light control and interaction with matter. Recently, magnetic resonance effects have attracted special attention in plasmonic systems for overcoming magnetic response saturation at high frequencies and realizing high-performance optical functionalities. As novel states of matter, topological insulators (TIs) present topologically protected conducting surfaces and insulating bulks in a broad optical range, providing new building blocks for plasmonics. However, until now, high-frequency (e.g. visible range) magnetic resonances and related applications have not been demonstrated in TI systems. Herein, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, a kind of visible range magnetic plasmon resonances (MPRs) in TI structures composed of nanofabricated Sb₂Te₃ nanogrooves. The experimental results show that the MPR response can be tailored by adjusting the nanogroove height, width, and pitch, which agrees well with the simulations and theoretical calculations. Moreover, we innovatively integrated monolayer MoS₂ onto a TI nanostructure and observed strongly reinforced light-MoS₂ interactions induced by a significant MPR-induced electric field enhancement, remarkable compared with TI-based electric plasmon resonances (EPRs). The MoS₂ photoluminescence can be flexibly tuned by controlling the incident light polarization. These results enrich TI optical physics and applications in highly efficient optical functionalities as well as artificial magnetic materials at high frequencies.

Graphene-tuned EIT-like effect in photonic multilayers for actively controlled light absorption of topological insulators

As newly emerging nanomaterials, topological insulators with unique conducting surface states that are protected by time-reversal symmetry present excellent prospects in electronics and photonics. The active control of light absorption in topological insulators are essential for the achievement of novel optoelectronic devices. Herein, we investigate the controllable light absorption of topological insulators in Tamm plasmon multilayer systems composed of a Bi_1.5Sb_0.5Te_1.8Se_1.2 (BSTS) film and a dielectric Bragg mirror with a graphene-involved defect layer. The results show that an ultranarrow electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-like window can be generated in the broad absorption spectrum. Based on the EIT-like effect, the Tamm plasmon enhanced light absorption of topological insulators can be dynamically tuned by adjusting the gate voltage on graphene in the defect layer. These results will pave a new avenue for the realization of topological insulator-based active optoelectronic functionalities, for instance light modulation and switching.

Energy metabolism and mitochondrial defects in X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMTX6) iPSC-derived motor neurons with the p.R158H PDK3 mutation

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) is a group of inherited diseases clinically and genetically heterogenous, characterised by length dependent degeneration of axons of the peripheral nervous system. A missense mutation (p.R158H) in the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 3 gene (PDK3) has been identified as the genetic cause for an X-linked form of CMT (CMTX6) in two unrelated families. PDK3 is one of four PDK isoenzymes that regulate the activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). The balance between kinases (PDKs) and phosphatases (PDPs) determines the extend of oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to generate acetyl CoA, critically linking glycolysis and the energy producing Krebs cycle. We had shown the p.R158H mutation causes hyperactivity of PDK3 and CMTX6 fibroblasts show hyperphosphorylation of PDC, leading to reduced PDC activity and ATP production. In this manuscript we have generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by re-programming CMTX6 fibroblasts (iPSC^CMTX6). We also have engineered an isogenic control (iPSC^isogenic) and demonstrated that genetic correction of the p.R158H mutation reverses the CMTX6 phenotype. Patient-derived motor neurons (MN^CMTX6) show increased phosphorylation of the PDC, energy metabolism defects and mitochondrial abnormalities, including reduced velocity of trafficking mitochondria in the affected axons. Treatment of the MN^CMTX6 with a PDK inhibitor reverses PDC hyperphosphorylation and the associated functional deficits founds in the patient motor neurons, demonstrating that the MN^CMTX6 and MN^isogenic motor neurons provide an excellent neuronal system for compound screening approaches to identify drugs for the treatment of CMTX6.

High-efficiency second-order nonlinear processes in an optical microfibre assisted by few-layer GaSe

The centrosymmetric nature of silica fibre precludes the realisation of second-order nonlinear processes in optical fibre systems. Recently, the integration of 2D materials with optical fibres has opened up a great opportunity to develop all-fibre active devices. Here, we demonstrate high-efficiency second-order nonlinear frequency conversions in an optical microfibre assisted with few-layer gallium selenide (GaSe) nanoflakes. Attributed to the strong evanescent field of the microfibre and ultrahigh second-order nonlinearity of the GaSe nanoflakes, second harmonic generation (SHG) and sum-frequency generation (SFG) are effectively achieved with only sub-milliwatt continuous-wave (CW) lasers in the wavelength range of 1500-1620 nm, covering the C and L telecom bands. The SHG intensity from the microfibre is enhanced by more than four orders of magnitude with the assistance of the GaSe nanoflakes on fibre nonlinear processes. Moreover, in the SFG process, the intensity transfer between different frequencies can be effectively manipulated by changing the wavelengths and powers of two pump lasers. The realised strong second-order nonlinearity in the GaSe-integrated microfibre might expand the applications of all-fibre devices in all-optical signal processing and new light source generation at awkward wavelengths.

Lab on D-shaped fiber excited via azimuthally polarized vector beam for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

We present a method for Raman examination using a silver-nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) coated D-shaped fiber (DSF) internally excited via an in-fiber azimuthally polarized beam (APB) generated by an acoustically induced fiber grating. Simulation results show that an electric-field intensity enhancement factor can be effectively improved under APB excitation compared with the linear polarization beam (LPB) excitation, because the strong gap-mode is uniformly generated between two adjacent Ag NPs on the surface of the DSF planar side. Experimental results show that the Raman signal intensity of the methylene blue (MB) detected by DSF in the case of APB excitation is ∼4.5 times as strong as that of LPB excitation, and the Raman detection sensitivity is ∼10^-9 M. The time stability of this method is also tested to be guaranteed.

Plasmon-enhanced nonlinear nanofocusing of gold nanoprisms driven via an ultrafast azimuthal vector beam

We present the plasmon-enhanced nonlinear nanofocusing of a gold (Au) nanoprism array substrate (ANAS) driven via an ultrafast azimuthal vector beam (AVB). Theoretical calculations show that the electric-field intensity of the ANAS vertically excited via the femtosecond AVB is higher than that of LPB excitation. In this experiment, the second-order surface nonlinear optical response of the ANAS is adopted to examine the nonlinear plasmonic nanofocusing of the ANAS, and it was observed that the second harmonic (SH) intensity of the ANAS excited via the femtosecond AVB is ∼3.8 times higher than that of LPB excitation, revealing that the ANAS under AVB excitation has a better nonlinear plasmonic nanofocusing characteristic than that under LPB excitation. Furthermore, the GaSe nanosheets are transferred on the ANAS to examine the nonlinear plasmonic nanofocusing of the ANAS. The SH intensity of the GaSe nanosheets deposited on the ANAS via the femtosecond AVB excitation has been enhanced ∼4.7 times than that of LPB excitation, indicating that the ANAS via AVB excitation has better nonlinear plasmonic nanofocusing than that of LPB excitation. This method may be used as a nonlinear nanofocusing light source to increase the light-matter nonlinear interaction.

Plasmon-enhanced linear and second-order surface nonlinear optical response of silver nanoparticles fabricated using a femtosecond pulse

We present the plasmon-enhanced linear and second-order surface nonlinear optical response of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) fabricated using a femtosecond pulse. Theoretical analysis indicates Ag NPs with a diameter of ∼100 nm have excellent linear response within the visible band, and the electric field intensity enhancement factor reaches ∼10⁵ under excitation of continuous light of 632.8 nm. Meanwhile, the simulation result of second-order surface nonlinear optical response shows that the second harmonic conversion efficiency of the Ag NPs dimer is two orders of magnitude higher than that of a single Ag NP, under excitation of a femtosecond pulse. In experiment, the linear response of Ag NPs is examined using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with a Raman enhancement factor of ∼1.7 × 10¹⁰, revealing the excellent linear optical response of Ag NPs. Moreover, the spectra of the second harmonic can be measured clearly under conditions of an average pump power of 40 μW, revealing the excellent second-order surface nonlinear optical response of Ag NPs.

Celecoxib cannot inhibit the progression of initiated traumatic heterotopic ossification

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a recognized sequela after trauma and arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of celecoxib on HO. We hypothesized that celecoxib may inhibit the progression of initiated HO.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of 37 patients who underwent elbow joint surgery between January 2014 and June 2018. Seventeen patients were prescribed orally administered celecoxib (200 mg/dose, twice daily) for 2 months after the diagnosis of HO, whereas the remaining 20 patients were administered celecoxib for 1 month starting immediately after surgery. HO progression was evaluated by plain radiographs. By use of an Achilles tendon puncture-induced HO mouse model, the curative effect of celecoxib was illustrated at different HO progression stages. The mice were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: sham group, vehicle group, group receiving celecoxib on day 1, and group receiving celecoxib in week 6. Achilles tendons were analyzed by micro-computed tomography and histochemistry after 12 weeks.

RESULTS

Celecoxib did not inhibit the progression of initiated HO in the patients in whom HO was diagnosed, whereas those who received celecoxib after surgery had lower morbidity. Achilles tendon puncture effectively induced typical HO in mice. The ectopic bone volume was significantly reduced in the day 1 celecoxib group compared with the vehicle group; however, the difference was not statistically significant in the week 6 celecoxib group.

CONCLUSIONS

Administration of celecoxib starting immediately after surgery can significantly inhibit the formation of HO. Once HO is visible on plain radiographs or micro-computed tomography, celecoxib cannot effectively attenuate further progression of HO in humans and mice.

Time and laser ranging: a window of opportunity for geodesy, navigation and metrology

Recent progress in the domain of time and frequency (T/F) standards requires important improvements of existing time distribution links. Among these, the accuracy of time transfer is actually an important part of the concerns in order to establish and maintain time & space references from ground and/or space facilities. Several time transfers by laser link projects have been carried out over the past 10 years with numerous scientific and metrological objectives. Satellite Laser ranging (SLR) has proven to be a fundamental tool, offering a straightforward, conceptually simple, highly accurate and unambiguous observable. Depending on the mission, LR is used to transmit time over two-way or one-way distances from 500 to several millions of km. The following missions and their objectives employed this technique: European Laser Timing (ELT) at 450 km, Time Transfer by Laser Link (T2L2) at 1,336 km, Laser Time Transfer (LTT) at 36,000 km, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) at 350,000 km, and MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) at tens of million km. This article describes the synergy between SLR and T/F technologies developed on the ground and in space and as well as the state of the art of their exploitation. The performance and sources of limitation of such space missions are analyzed. It shows that current and future challenges lie in the improvement of the time accuracy and stability of the time for ground geodetic observatories. The role of the next generation of SLR systems is emphasized both in space and at ground level, from the point of view of GGOS and valuable exploitation of the synergy between time synchronization, ranging and data transfer.

Tamoxifen Inhibits the Progression of Trauma-Induced Heterotopic Ossification in Mice

BACKGROUND Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a kind of abnormal mineralized bone which usually occurs in muscle, tendon, or ligament. There are currently no effective drugs for the treatment and prevention of HO. Developing effective drugs that can inhibit HO is of profound significance and would provide new strategies for clinical treatment of this disease. The present investigation evaluated the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen against HO. MATERIAL AND METHODS Using an Achilles tendon trauma-induced HO female mice model, we screened different doses of tamoxifen (1, 3, and 9 mg/kg) in mice to determine the optimal dosage on the inhibition of the HO formation. The curative effect of tamoxifen was also illustrated at different HO progression stages including inflammation, chondrogenesis, osteogenesis, and HO maturation. RESULTS Heterotopic bone was formed with typical endochondral ossification in Achilles tendons 6 weeks after surgery and continued to enlarge up to 12 weeks. The formation of HO was significantly inhibited with the treatment of tamoxifen at the dosage of 9 mg/kg, whereas 1 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg did not reduce HO bone volume remarkably. The progression of HO was both attenuated by tamoxifen from Day 1 and Week 4 post-surgery, whereas no inhibitory effect was shown at the osteogenesis and maturation stages treated with tamoxifen. CONCLUSIONS Tamoxifen exerts an inhibitory effect on the heterotopic bone progression at inflammation and chondrogenesis stages, with the TGF-ß signaling pathway suppressed following the increase in estrogen receptor alpha activity.

All-fiber frequency shifter consisting of a fiber Bragg grating modulated via an acoustic flexural wave for optical heterodyne measurement

We present an all-fiber frequency shifter (AFFS) consisting of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) modulated via an acoustic flexural wave for optical heterodyne measurement. The AFFS can efficiently generate the frequency-shifted signal due to the resonance peak with a high-reflection efficiency and being completely separated from the reflection spectrum of the original FBG, simultaneously. The experimental result shows that the minimal measurable vibration amplitude and the resolution of the all-fiber optical heterodyne measurement setup constructed with the AFFS are 0.06 nm and 30 pm in the region of tens to hundreds of kilohertz, respectively.

Cucurbitacin B inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in colorectal cancer by modulating methylation status of BTG3

A previous report has revealed that cucurbitacin B (CuB) inhibits cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through epigenetic modifications of several genes. However, whether CuB regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis by altering methylation status of BTG3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unknown. In the present study, the results showed that BTG3 was downregulated in CRC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. CuB significantly increased BTG3 levels, induced promoter demethylation, and decreased the levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b) in both CRC cell lines (SW480 and Caco-2), and the effects of CuB were comparable with those of 5-Aza-dC. We also found that CuB inhibited cell proliferation, accompanied with decreased expression of Ki67. Furthermore, CuB treatment induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase in SW480 and Caco-2 cells, as well as decreased levels of Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E1. Incubation with CuB promoted cell apoptosis in both CRC cell lines in vitro, accompanied with elevation of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP. BTG3 knockdown abolished the effects of CuB in CRC cells. In summary, CuB-induced proliferation inhibition and cell apoptosis may be due to the reactivation of BTG3 by promoter demethylation. CuB may be a promising agent for CRC therapy.

Sb2Te3 topological insulator: surface plasmon resonance and application in refractive index monitoring

Topological insulators as new emerging building blocks in electronics and photonics present promising prospects for exciting surface plasmons and enhancing light-matter interaction. Thus, exploring the visible-range plasmonic response of topological insulators is significant to reveal their optical characteristics and broaden their applications at high frequencies. Herein, we report the experimental demonstration of a visible-range surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect on an antimony telluride (Sb2Te3) topological insulator film. The results show that the SPR can be excited with a relatively small incident angle in the Kretschmann configuration based on the Sb2Te3 film. Especially, we develop an impactful digital holographic imaging system based on the topological insulator SPR and realize the dynamic monitoring of refractive index variation. Compared with the traditional SPR, the Sb2Te3-based SPR possesses a broader measurement range. Our findings open a new avenue for exploring the optical physics and practical applications of topological insulators, such as environmental and biochemical sensing.

A pulsewidth measurement technology based on carbon-nanotube saturable absorber

We demonstrate a proof-of-concept saturable absorption based pulsewidth measurement (SAPM) by exploring the intensity dependent nonlinear transmission (i.e., saturable absorption) of low-dimensional material (LDM) carbon nanotubes. A minimum pulse energy of 75 fJ is experimentally detected with an average-power-peak-power product (P_av⋅ P_pk) of 5.44×10^-7 W² near 1550 nm. A minimum detectable pulse energy of 10 fJ with a P_av⋅ P_pk of 1.3×10^-9 W² is estimated with further optimization. The nanometer-level thickness and femtosecond-level decay time of LDMs allow ultrafast light interaction on a very small footprint, which potentially supports chip-scale characterization of ultrafast pulses with minimum distortion.

Induced reflection in Tamm plasmon systems

We present an induced reflection response analogue to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a novel Tamm plasmon system, consisting of a thin metal film and a Bragg grating with a defect layer. The results show that an induced narrow peak can be generated in the original broad reflection dip, which is attributed to the coupling and interference between the Tamm plasmon and defect modes in the grating structure. It is found that the EIT-like induced reflection is strongly dependent on the thickness of defect layer, grating period number between the metal and defect layers, thickness of Bragg grating layer, refractive index of defect layer, and thickness of metal film. Additionally, the induced reflection can be dynamically tuned by adjusting the angle of incident light. The numerical simulations agree extremely well with theoretical calculations. The coupling strength between the Tamm plasmon and defect modes is determined by the above parameters. These results will provide a new avenue for light field control and devices in multilayer photonic systems.

B-cell translocation gene 3 overexpression inhibits proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer SW480 cells via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Increasing evidences have shown that B-cell translocation gene 3 (BTG3) inhibits metastasis of multiple cancer cells. However, the role of BTG3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its possible mechanism have not yet been reported. In our study, we evaluated BTG3 expression in several CRC cell lines. Then, pcDNA3.1-BTG3 was transfected into SW480 cells. We found that BTG3 was upregulated in SW480 cells after overexpression plasmid transfection. BTG3 overexpression significantly inhibited cell growth and decreased PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and Ki67 levels. BTG3 overexpression markedly downregulated Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E1 levels, whereas elevated p27. Overexpression of BTG3 arrested the cell cycle at G1 phase, which was abrogated by p27 silencing. Furthermore, migration, invasion and EMT of SW480 cells were significantly suppressed by BTG3 overexpression. Further investigations showed the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We then used GSK3β specific inhibitor SB-216763 to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We found that Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activation reversed the effect of BTG3 overexpression on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, invasion and EMT. In conclusion, BTG3 overexpression inhibited cell growth, induced cell cycle arrest and suppressed the metastasis of SW480 cells via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. BTG3 may be considered as a therapeutic target in CRC treatment.

Broadband polarization-insensitive saturable absorption of Fe2O3 nanoparticles

The synthesis and functionalization of transition-metal oxides are one of the most active research areas in advanced materials. As a typical transition-metal oxide, iron oxide has been widely used in lithium-ion batteries, gas sensors, and for water treatment. Herein, we synthesized Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles by a co-precipitation method that is inexpensive and non-toxic. The Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles exhibited broadband saturable absorption. Furthermore, thin Fe₂O₃ polyvinyl alcohol films were prepared to realize Q-switched operations in a ytterbium-doped fibre laser, an erbium-doped fibre laser, and a thulium-doped fibre laser. Attributed to the polarization-insensitive feature of the saturable absorber, Q-switched cylindrical vector beams were also generated based on mode coupling and selection in two-mode fibre lasers. Such Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles show great promise for use in Q-switching applications of infrared fibre lasers and cylindrical vector lasers.

In-flight characterization of the lunar orbiter laser altimeter instrument pointing and far-field pattern

The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has collected nearly seven billion measurements of surface height on the Moon with an absolute accuracy of ∼1  m and a precision of ∼10  cm. Converting time-of-flight laser altimeter measurements to topographic elevations requires accurate knowledge of the laser pointing with respect to the spacecraft body-fixed coordinate system. To that end, we have utilized altimetric crossovers from LOLA, as well as bidirectional observations of the LOLA laser and receiver boresight via an Earth-based laser tracking ground station. Based on a sample of ∼780,000 globally distributed crossovers from the circular-orbit phase of LRO's mission (∼27 months), we derive corrections to the LOLA laser boresight. These corrections improve the cross-track and along-track agreement of the crossovers by 24% and 33%, respectively, yielding RMS residuals of ∼10  m. Since early in the LRO mission, the bidirectional laser tracking experiments have confirmed a pointing anomaly when the LOLA instrument is facing toward deep space or the night side of the Moon and have allowed the reconstruction of the laser far-field pattern and receiver telescope pointing. By conducting such experiments shortly after launch and nearly eight years later, we have directly measured changes in the laser characteristics and obtained critical data to understand the laser behavior and refine the instrument pointing model. The methods and results presented here are also relevant to the design, fabrication, and operation of future planetary laser altimeters and their long-term behavior in the space environment.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with Au-nanoparticle substrate fabricated by using femtosecond pulse

Au-nanoparticle (Au-NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) were fabricated by grid-like scanning a Au-film using a femtosecond pulse. The Au-NPs were directly deposited on the Au-film surface due to the scanning process. The experimentally obtained Au-NPs presented local surface plasmon resonance effect in the visible spectral range, as verified by finite difference time domain simulations and measured reflection spectrum. The SERS experiment using the Au-NP substrates exhibited high activity and excellent substrate reproducibility and stability, and a clearly present Raman spectra of target analytes, e.g. Rhodamine-6G, Rhodamine-B and Malachite green, with concentrations down to 10^-9 M. This work presents an effective approach to producing Au-NP SERS substrates with advantages in activity, reproducibility and stability, which could be used in a wide variety of practical applications for trace amount detection.

All-fiber radially/azimuthally polarized lasers based on mode coupling of tapered fibers

We demonstrate a mode converter with an insertion loss of 0.36 dB based on mode coupling of tapered single-mode and two-mode fibers, and realize all-fiber flexible cylindrical vector lasers at 1550 nm. Attributing to the continuous distribution of a tangential electric field at taper boundaries, the laser is switchable between the radially and azimuthally polarized states by adjusting the input polarization. In the temporal domain, the operation is controllable among continuous-wave, Q-switched, and mode-locked statuses by changing the saturable absorber or pump strength. The duration of Q-switched radially/azimuthally polarized laser spans from 10.4/10.8 to 6/6.4 μs at the pump range of 38 to 58 mW, while that of the mode-locked pulse varies from 39.2/31.9 to 5.6/5.2 ps by controlling the laser bandwidth. The proposed laser combines the features of a cylindrical vector beam, a fiber laser, and an ultrafast pulse, providing a special and cost-effective source for practical applications.

Electrostatic Functionalization and Passivation of Water-Exfoliated Few-Layer Black Phosphorus by Poly Dimethyldiallyl Ammonium Chloride and Its Ultrafast Laser Application

Few-layer black phosphorus (BP) which exhibits excellent optical and electronic properties, has great potential applications in nanodevices. However, BP inevitably suffers from the rapid degradation in ambient air because of the high reactivity of P atoms with oxygen and water, which greatly hinders its wide applications. Herein, we demonstrate the electrostatic functionalization as an effective way to simultaneously enhance the stability and dispersity of aqueous phase exfoliated few-layer BP. The poly dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) is selected to spontaneously and uniformly adsorb on the surface of few-layer BP via electrostatic interaction. The positive charge-center of the N atom of PDDA, which passivates the lone-pair electrons of P, plays a critical role in stabilizing the BP. Meanwhile, the PDDA could serve as hydrophilic ligands to improve the dispersity of exfoliated BP in water. The thinner PDDA-BP nanosheets can stabilize in both air and water even after 15 days of exposure. Finally, the uniform PDDA-BP-polymer film was used as a saturable absorber to realize passive mode-locking operations in a fiber laser, delivering a train of ultrafast pulses with the duration of 1.2 ps at 1557.8 nm. This work provides a new way to obtain highly stable few-layer BP, which shows great promise in ultrafast optics application.

Downregulation of SIRT6 by miR-34c-5p is associated with poor prognosis and promotes colon cancer proliferation through inhibiting apoptosis via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) is a member of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide positivity-dependent class III deacetylase sirtuin family. The present study aimed to explore the expression and function of SIRT6 in colon cancer. Furthermore, the partial mechanism underlying the dysregulation of SIRT6 was investigated. The results of immunohistochemistry demonstrated that SIRT6 was markedly downregulated in colon cancer tissues, and patients with high SIRT6 expression had a better prognosis than those who did not. The proliferation and apoptotic assays demonstrated that SIRT6 was able to suppress colon cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis via the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are important non-coding RNAs, which have a critical role in the negative regulation of their target genes. Through bioinformatics analysis and further experiments, the results demonstrated that miR-34c-5p was not only dysregulated in colon cancer tissues but may also regulate SIRT6 expression via interaction with the 3′-untranslated region of SIRT6 mRNA. The proliferation and apoptotic assays indicated that miR-34c-5p could directly promote cell growth and inhibit apoptosis via activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, which was similar to silencing SIRT6. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that miR-34c-5p promoted colon cancer cell proliferation by targeting SIRT6 via activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. It may be hypothesized that SIRT6 is a potential biomarker for colon cancer prognosis, and the miR-34c-5p/SIRT6/JAK2/STAT3 axis may provide novel insights into colon cancer treatment.

Facile Synthesis of Indium Sulfide/Flexible Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber for Enhanced Photocatalytic Efficiency and Its Application

Heterojunction system has been proved as one of the best architectures for photocatalyst owing to extending specific surface area, expanding spectral response range, and increasing photoinduced charges generation, separation, and transmission, which can provide better light absorption range and higher reaction site. In this paper, Indium Sulfide/Flexible Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber (In₂S₃/CNF) heterogeneous systems were synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The results from characterizations of SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy displayed that flower-like In₂S₃ was deposited on the hair-like CNF template, forming a one-dimensional nanofibrous network heterojunction photocatalyst. And the newly prepared In₂S₃/CNF photocatalysts exhibit greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure In₂S₃. In addition, the formation mechanism of the one-dimensional heterojunction In₂S₃/CNF photocatalyst is discussed and a promising approach to degrade Rhodamine B (RB) in the photocatalytic process is processed.

Nearly perfect absorption of light in monolayer molybdenum disulfide supported by multilayer structures

A novel multilayer photonic structure is proposed to achieve the strong enhancement of light absorption in monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). Both numerical and analytical results illustrate that the absolute absorption of light in this atomically thin layer can approach as high as 96% at the visible wavelengths due to the excitation of Tamm plasmon mode. It is also found that the operating wavelength and height of sharp absorption peak are particularly dependent on the layer thicknesses and period number of dielectric grating, MoS₂ position in the spacer, and incident angle of light, which contribute to the tunability and selectivity of light-MoS₂ interaction. These results would provide a new pathway for the improvement of MoS₂ photoluminescence and photodetection.

[IgG4-related lung disease: analysis of 8 cases and literature review]

Objective: To improve the understanding and treatment of IgG4-related lung disease (IgG4-RLD). Methods: The clinical characteristics, serum IgG4 levels, pathological features, chest CT, therapy and prognosis of 8 patients with IgG4-RLD were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were admitted to the People's Liberation Army General Hospital and the pathological diagnosis was made between December 2005 and March 2016. Relevant literatures were reviewed. Results: The 8 patients with IgG4-RLD included 4 men and 4 women, with an average age of (59±4) years (range, 37-74). The respiratory symptoms included shortness of breath, cough, and expectoration. Extra-pulmonary symptoms included abdominal pain, facial edema, and fever. Extrapulmonary organs were involved in 7 cases. Serum IgG4 levels were elevated in 8 cases, with an average concentration of(17±6)g/L. Chest CT showed solid lung nodules in 6, alveolar-interstitial infiltration in 5, bronchovascular lesions in 3 and ground glass shadows in 2 cases. PET/CT was performed in 2 cases and it showed multiple organ involvement with higher radioactivity uptake(SUVmax2.9-4.2). The pathological examination found lymphocyte and plasma cell infiltration in 7, fibrous tissue hyperplasia in 5, and occlusive vasculitis in 2 cases. On immunohistochemical staining, the ratio of IgG4-positive plasma cells to IgG-positive plasma cells was higher than 40%in 3 cases. The number of IgG4-positive plasma cells was 10-50/HP in 8 cases. The misdiagnosis rate was 100% before the final diagnosis was made. Three cases received glucocorticoids with immunosuppressant therapy, 2 received surgery combined with glucocorticoid therapy, 2 received glucocorticoid therapy alone, and 1 only received surgery. The follow-up time was 4-132 months, with remission in 7 cases, and disease progression in 1 case, but no death. A total of 195 cases of IgG4-RLD were reviewed from the literature, among whom 111 cases were admitted with respiratory symptoms, 144 with extra-pulmonary involvement. Serum IgG4 levels were detected in 179 cases, with an average concentration of 5.408 g/L. The nodular type was predominant, accounting for 36.9%. Of these cases, 178 received glucocorticoid treatment with disease remission. Conclusions: The major clinical manifestations of IgG4-RLD were shortness of breath, cough and expectoration. Multiple organ lesions were common. The misdiagnosis rate was extremely high. The diagnosis could be made based on pathological features and IgG4 serum levels . Glucocorticoid treatment was effective.

Strong plasmonic confinement and optical force in phosphorene pairs

The plasmonic responses in the spatially separated phosphorene (single-layer black phosphorus) pairs are investigated, mainly containing the field enhancement, light confinement, and optical force. It is found that the strong anisotropic dispersion of black phosphorus gives rise to the direction-dependent symmetric and anti-symmetric plasmonic modes. Our results demonstrate that the symmetrical modes possess stronger field enhancement, higher light confinement, and larger optical force than the anti-symmetric modes in the nanoscale structures. Especially, the light confinement ratio and optical force for the symmetric mode along the armchair direction of black phosphorus can reach as high as >90% and >3000 pN/mW, respectively. These results may open a new door for the light manipulation at nanoscale and the design of black phosphorus based photonic devices.

Generation of cylindrical vector beams and optical vortex by two acoustically induced fiber gratings with orthogonal vibration directions

Mode coupling from the fundamental vector mode (HE11x) to the cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) and optical vortex beams (OVBs) of a few-mode fiber excited by two acoustic flexural waves with orthogonal perturbations is achieved by using a composite acoustic transducer. The HE11x mode is converted to TM₀₁ and TE₀₁ modes, which have radial and azimuthal polarizations, by using the lowest-order acoustic flexural modes of F11x and F11y, respectively. Furthermore, HE11x mode can also be converted to the ± 1-order OVBs of HE21even±iHE21odd through the combined acoustic modes of F11x±iF11y. This technique provides a useful way of generating CVBs and OVBs in optical fiber with conveniently electrically-controlled mode conversion characteristics.

Generation of femtosecond optical vortex pulse in fiber based on an acoustically induced fiber grating

We proposed a method for generation of a femtosecond optical vortex pulse in a two-mode fiber based on an acoustically induced fiber grating (AIFG) driven by a radio frequency source. Theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrated that the left- and right-handed circular polarization fundamental modes of the femtosecond optical pulse could be converted to the linearly polarized ±1-order optical vortex modes through the AIFG with the mode conversion efficiency of ∼95%. The off-axial interference experiment and the polarization angle-dependent intensity examination were performed to verify the topological charge and the polarization state of the femtosecond optical vortex, respectively.