Diagnosing Thermalization Dynamics of Non-Hermitian Quantum Systems via GKSL Master Equations

The application of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis to non-Hermitian quantum systems has become one of the most important topics in dissipative quantum chaos, recently giving rise to intense debates. The process of thermalization is intricate, involving many time-evolution trajectories in the reduced Hilbert space of the system. By considering two different expansion forms of the density matrices adopted in the biorthogonal and right-state time evolutions, we derive two versions of the Gorini–Kossakowski–Sudarshan–Lindblad(GKSL)master equations describing the non-Hermitian systems coupled to a bosonic heat bath in thermal equilibrium. By solving the equations, we identify a sufficient condition for thermalization under both time evolutions, resulting in Boltzmann biorthogonal and right-eigenstate statistics, respectively. This finding implies that the recently proposed biorthogonal random matrix theory needs an appropriate revision. Moreover, we exemplify the precise dynamics of thermalization and thermodynamic properties with test models.

外泌体非编码RNA在非小细胞肺癌获得性耐药中的研究进展

非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)是肺癌中最常见的类型,对化疗及靶向药物的获得性耐药严重影响NSCLC患者的生存期,NSCLC获得性耐药机制复杂,确切机制仍不清楚。肿瘤来源或与肿瘤相关的外泌体是参与调控NSCLC获得性耐药的重要机制,可以通过传递核酸、蛋白质等赋予敏感细胞耐药性。本综述主要介绍近年来外泌体非编码RNA(noncoding RNA,ncRNA)在NSCLC获得性耐药中的研究进展。

Single-nucleus transcriptomic profiling of multiple organs in a rhesus macaque model of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) causes diverse clinical manifestations and tissue injuries in multiple organs.However, cellular and molecular understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated pathology and immune defense features in different organs remains incomplete. Here, we profiled approximately 77 000single-nucleus transcriptomes of the lung, liver,kidney, and cerebral cortex in rhesus macaques(Macaca mulatta) infected with SARS-CoV-2 and healthy controls. Integrated analysis of the multiorgan dataset suggested that the liver harbored the strongest global transcriptional alterations. We observed prominent impairment in lung epithelial cells, especially in AT2 and ciliated cells, and evident signs of fibrosis in fibroblasts. These lung injury characteristics are similar to those reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Furthermore, we found suppressed MHC class I/II molecular activity in the lung, inflammatory response in the liver, and activation of the kynurenine pathway,which induced the development of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Analysis of the kidney dataset highlighted tropism of tubule cells to SARS-CoV-2, and we found membranous nephropathy(an autoimmune disease) caused by podocyte dysregulation. In addition, we identified the pathological states of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the cerebral cortex, providing molecular insights into COVID-19-related neurological implications. Overall, our multi-organ single-nucleus transcriptomic survey of SARS-CoV-2-infected rhesus macaques broadens our understanding of disease features and antiviral immune defects caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection,which may facilitate the development of therapeutic interventions for COVID-19.

Rare-Earth Chalcogenides:A Large Family of Triangular Lattice Spin Liquid Candidates

Frustrated quantum magnets are expected to host many exotic quantum spin states like quantum spin liquid（QSL）, and have attracted numerous interest in modern condensed matter physics. The discovery of the triangular lattice spin liquid candidate YbMgGaO_4 stimulated an increasing attention on the rare-earth-based frustrated magnets with strong spin-orbit coupling. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of a large family of rare-earth chalcogenides AReCh_2（A = alkali or monovalent ions, Re = rare earth, Ch = O,S,Se）. The family compounds share the same structure（R3 m） as YbMgGaO_4,and antiferromagnetically coupled rare-earth ions form perfect triangular layers that are well separated along the c-axis. Specific heat and magnetic susceptibility measurements on NaYbO_2,NaYbS_2 and NaYbSe_2 single crystals and polycrystals, reveal no structural or magnetic transition down to 50 mK. The family, having the simplest structure and chemical formula among the known QSL candidates, removes the issue on possible exchange disorders in YbMgGaO_4. More excitingly, the rich diversity of the family members allows tunable charge gaps, variable exchange coupling, and many other advantages.This makes the family an ideal platform for fundamental research of QSLs and its promising applications.

C1q/TNF-related protein 1 promotes vasodilatory dysfunctions by increasing arginase 1 activity and uncoupling of endothelial nitric oxide synthase

Objective C1q/TNF-related protein(CTRP)1 was initiallyidentified as a paralog of adiponectin based on the similarity in C1q domain of these two proteins.Previously,we showed that CTRP1promotes the development of atherosclerosis by increasing endothelial adhesiveness.Here,we sought to investigate whether CTRP1 also influences vascular dilatory functions.

Increased serum TREM-1 level is associated with in-stent restenosis,and activation of TREM-1 promotes inflammation,proliferation and migration in vascular smooth muscle cells

Background and Objective In-stent restenosis(ISR)remains a major limitation of percutaneous coronary intervention despite improvements in stent design and pharmacological agents,whereas the mechanism of ISR has not been fully clarified.In the present study,we sought to investigate the potential association of serum soluble TREM-1(sTREM-1)levels with the incidence of ISR.The role of TREM-1 was evaluated in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs).

Effective model for rare-earth Kitaev materials and its classical Monte Carlo simulation

Recently,the family of rare-earth chalcohalides were proposed as candidate compounds to realize the Kitaev spin liquid(KSL)[Chin.Phys.Lett.38047502(2021)].In the present work,we firstly propose an effective spin Hamiltonian consistent with the symmetry group of the crystal structure.Then we apply classical Monte Carlo simulations to preliminarily study the model and establish a phase diagram.When approaching to the low temperature limit,several magnetic long range orders are observed,including the stripe,the zigzag,the antiferromagnetic(AFM),the ferromagnetic(FM),the incommensurate spiral(IS),the multi-Q,and the 120°ones.We further calculate the thermodynamic properties of the system,such as the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility and the heat capacity.The ordering transition temperatures reflected in the two quantities agree with each other.For most interaction regions,the system is magnetically more susceptible in the ab-plane than in the c-direction.The stripe phase is special,where the susceptibility is fairly isotropic in the whole temperature region.These features provide useful information to understand the magnetic properties of related materials.

C1q/TNF-Related Protein 1 promotes arterial endothelial barrier dysfunction under disturbed flow

Objective Atherosclerotic lesions preferentially occur at branch points of arterial trees where the blood flow is disturbed.Disturbed flow increases endothelial permeability,vascular barrier dysfunction,and finally the development of atherosclerosis.CTRP1,a member of C1q/TNF related protein(CTRP)family,is a novel secreted glycoprotein and its biological functions are largely undefined.

C1q/TNF-related protein 5 promotes atherogenesis by enhancing transcytosis and oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein through increasing 12/15-lipoxygenase

Objective Increased transcytosis of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)across the endothelium and oxidation of LDL deposited within the subendothelial space are crucial early events in atherogenesis. C1q/TNF-related protein (CTRP) 5 is a novel secreted glycoprotein and its biological functions are largely undefined.

Eigenstate properties of the disordered Bose-Hubbard chain

Many-body localization(MBL)of a disordered interacting boson system in one dimension is studied numerically at the filling faction one-half.The von Neumann entanglement entropy Svn is commonly used to detect the MBL phase transition but remains challenging to be directly measured.Based on the U(1)symmetry from the particle number conservation,Svn can be decomposed into the particle number entropy S_(n) and the configuration entropy Sc.In light of the tendency that the eigenstate's S_(c) nears zero in the localized phase,we introduce a quantity describing the deviation of S from the ideal thermalization distribution;finite-size scaling analysis illustrates that it shares the same phase transition point with Sv but displays the better critical exponents.This observation hints that the phase transition to MBL might largely be determined by S and its fluctuations Notably,the recent experiments[A.Lukin,et al.,Science 364,256(2019);J.Leonard,et al.,Nat.Phys.19,481(2023)]demonstrated that this deviation can potentially be measured through the Sn measurement.Furthermore,our investigations reveal that the thermalized states primarily occupy the low-energy section of the spectrum,as indicated by measures of localization length,gap ratio,and energy density distribution.This low-energy spectrum of the Bose model closely resembles the entire spectrum of the Fermi(or spin XXZ)model,accommodating a transition from the thermalized to the localized states.While,owing to the bosonic statistics,the high-energy spectrum of the model allows the formation of distinct clusters of bosons in the random potential background.We analyze the resulting eigenstate properties and briefly summarize the associated dynamics.To distinguish between the phase regions at the low and high energies,a probing quantity based on the structure of S_(VN) is also devised.Our work highlights the importance of symmetry combined with entanglement in the study of MBL.In this regard,for the disordered Heisenberg XXZ chain,the recent pure eigenvalue analyses in[J.Suntajs,et al.,Phys.Rev.E 102,062144(2020)]would appear inadequate,while methods used in[A.Morningstar,et al.,Phys.Rev.B 105,174205(2022)]that spoil the U(1)symmetry could be misleading.

Telomere-dependent and telomereindependent roles of RAP1 in regulating human stem cell homeostasis

RAP1 is a well-known telomere-binding protein, but its functions in human stem cells have remained unclea匚 Here we generated RAP1 -deficient human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) by using CRISPR/Cas9 technique and obtained RAP1-deficient human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and neural stem cells (hNSCs) via directed differentiation. In both hMSCs and hNSCs, RAP1 not only negatively regulated telomere length but also acted as a transcriptional regulator of RELN by tuning the methylation status of its gene promoter. RAP1 deficiency enhanced self-renewal and delayed senescence in hMSCs, but not in hNSCs, suggesting complicated lineage-specific effects of RAP1 in adult stem cells.Altogether, these results demonstrate for the first time that RAP1 plays both telomeric and nontelomeric roles in regulating human stem cell homeostasis.

Traditional Chinese medicines for non-small cell lung cancer: Therapies and mechanisms

The most common subtype of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC), which has a poor prognosis and seriously threatens the health of human beings. The multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment model has gradually become the mainstream of NSCLC treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) can be used effectively either as an adjunctive therapy or alone throughout the NSCLC therapy,which has a significant impact on survival, quality of life, and reduction of toxicity. Therefore, this paper reviewed the theoretical basis, the latest clinical application, and combined treatment mechanisms in order to explore the advantage stage of TCM treatment and the synergistic therapeutic mechanisms.

Ferrodifferentiation regulates neurodevelopment via ROS generation

Iron is important for life,and iron deficiency impairs development,but whether the iron level regulates neural differentiation remains elusive.In this study,with iron-regulatory proteins(IRPs)knockout embryonic stem cells(ESCs)that showed severe iron deficiency,we found that the Pax6-and Sox2-positive neuronal precursor cells and Tuj1 fibers in IRP1^(-/-)IRP2^(-/-)ESCs were significantly decreased after inducing neural differentiation.Consistently,in vivo study showed that the knockdown of IRP1 in IRP2^(-/-)fetal mice remarkably affected the differentiation of neuronal precursors and the migration of neurons.These findings suggest that low intracellular iron status significantly inhibits neurodifferentiation.When supplementing IRP1^(-/-)IRP2^(-/-)ESCs with iron,these ESCs could differentiate normally.Further investigations revealed that the underlying mechanism was associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species(ROS)production caused by the substantially low level of iron and the downregulation of iron-sulfur cluster protein ISCU,which,in turn,affected the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells.Thus,the appropriate amount of iron is crucial for maintaining normal neural differentiation that is termed ferrodifferentiation.

Recent advances in tissue stem cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation,giving rise to specialized functional cells.Stem cells are of pivotal importance for organ and tissue development,homeostasis,and injury and disease repair.Tissue-specific stem cells are a rare population residing in specific tissues and present powerful potential for regeneration when required.They are usually named based on the resident tissue,such as hematopoietic stem cells and germline stem cells.This review discusses the recent advances in stem cells of various tissues,including neural stem cells,muscle stem cells,liver progenitors,pancreatic islet stem/progenitor cells,intestinal stem cells,and prostate stem cells,and the future perspectives for tissue stem cell research.

Visualization and correction of social abnormalities-associated neural ensembles in adult MECP2 duplication mice

Duplications of MECP2-containing genomic segments led to severe autistic symptoms in male. Transgenic mice overexpressing the human MECP2 gene exhibit autistic-like behaviors. Neural circuits underlying social defects in MECP2 transgenic(MECP2-TG) mice remain unknown. To observe neural activity of MECP2-TG mice in vivo, we performed calcium imaging by implantation of microendoscope in the hippocampal CA1 regions of MECP2-TG and wild type(WT) mice. We identified neurons whose activities were tightly associated with social interaction, which activity patterns were compromised in MECP2-TG mice. Strikingly, we rescued the social-related neural activity in CA1 and social defects in MECP2-TG mice by deleting the human MECP2 transgene using the CRISPR/Cas9 method during adulthood.Our data points to the neural circuitry responsible for social interactions and provides potential therapeutic targets for autism in adulthood.

Recapitulating cortical development with organoid culture in vitro and modeling abnormal spindle-like （ASPM related primary） microcephaly disease

The development of a cerebral organoid culture in vitro offers an opportunity to generate human brain-like organs to investigate mechanisms of human disease that are specific to the neurogenesis of radial glial （RG） and outer radial glial （oRG） cells in the ventrJcular zone （VZ） and subventricular zone （SVZ） of the developing neocortex. Modeling neuronal progenitors and the organization that produces mature subcortical neuron subtypes during early stages of development is essential for studying human brain developmental diseases. Several previous efforts have shown to grow neural organoid in culture dishes successfully, however we demonstrate a new paradigm that recapitulates neocortical development process with VZ, OSVZ formation and the lamination organization of cortical layer structure. In addition, using patient.specific induced pluripotent stem cells （iPSCs） with dysfunction of the Aspm gene from a primary microcephaly patient, we demonstrate neurogenesis defects result in defective neuronal activity in patient organoids, suggesting a new strategy to study human developmental diseases in central nerve system.

Identification of de novo Mutations in the Chinese Autism Spectrum Disorder Cohort via Whole-Exome Sequencing Unveils Brain Regions Implicated in Autism

Autism spectrum disorder(ASD)is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions and repetitive behaviors.Although hundreds of ASD risk genes,implicated in synaptic formation and transcriptional regulation,have been identified through human genetic studies,the East Asian ASD cohorts are still under-represented in genome-wide genetic studies.Here,we applied whole-exome sequencing to 369 ASD trios including probands and unaffected parents of Chinese origin.Using a joint-calling analytical pipeline based on GATK toolkits,we identified numerous de novo mutations including 55 high-impact variants and 165 moderate-impact variants,as well as de novo copy number variations containing known ASD-related genes.Importantly,combined with single-cell sequencing data from the developing human brain,we found that the expression of genes with de novo mutations was specifically enriched in the pre-,post-central gyrus(PRC,PC)and banks of the superior temporal(BST)regions in the human brain.By further analyzing the brain imaging data with ASD and healthy controls,we found that the gray volume of the right BST in ASD patients was significantly decreased compared to healthy controls,suggesting the potential structural deficits associated with ASD.Finally,we found a decrease in the seed-based functional connectivity between BST/PC/PRC and sensory areas,the insula,as well as the frontal lobes in ASD patients.This work indicated that combinatorial analysis with genome-wide screening,single-cell sequencing,and brain imaging data reveal the brain regions contributing to the etiology of ASD.

FTO stabilizes MIS12 and counteracts senescence

Dear Editor, N6-methyladenosine(m6A)is an abundant epitranscriptomic modification that regulates messenger RNA(mRNA)biology.The m6A modification regulates mRNA splicing,transport,stability,and translation through coordinated activities by methyltransferases(writers),binding proteins(readers),and demethylases(erasers)(Huang et al.,2020;Wu et al.,2020).Among m6A regulators,fat mass of obesity-associ-ated protein(FTO),is the first discovered eraser with RNA m6A demethylation activity(Jia et al.,2011).Since then,FTO has been reported to play m6A-dependent roles in a variety of physiological processes including adipogenesis,neuro-genesis and tumorigenesis(Fischer et al.,2009;Li et al.,2017;Huang et al.,2020).Consequently,FTO deficiency in mice leads to dramatic phenotypes,such as decreased fat mass and impaired brain development(Fischer et al.,2009;Li et al.,2017).Similarly,inhibition of FTO reduces tumori-genesis in multiple types of cancer models,while FTO is highly expressed in many cancers(Huang et al.,2020).

Chinese herbal medicines for prostate cancer therapy: From experimental research to clinical practice

Prostate cancer remains the second most common malignancy in men worldwide, is a global health issue,and poses a huge health burden. Precision medicine provides more treatment options for prostate cancer patients, but its popularity, drug resistance, and adverse reactions still need to be focused on. Chinese herbal medicines(CHMs) have been widely accepted as an alternative therapy for cancer, with the advantages of multiple targets, multiple pathways, and low toxicity. We searched the experimental research and clinical practice of CHMs for prostate cancer treatment published in Pub Med, Embase, and Web of Science in the last five years. We found five CHM formulas and six single CHM extracts as well as 12 CHM-derived compounds, which showed induction of apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest, suppression of angiogenesis, proliferation, and migration of prostate cancer cells, reversal of drug resistance,and enhancement of anti-tumor immunity. The mechanisms of action include the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, AR,EGFR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, which are commonly implicated in the development of prostate cancer. We also summarized the advantages of CHMs in patients with hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer and provided ideas for their further experimental design and application.

Improvement of the Compressive Strength of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites via Microwave Curing

Microwave processing was used to cure the carbon fiber/epoxy composites and designed for improving the compressive strength of the materials. By controlling the power of microwave heating, vacuum bagged laminates were fabricated under one atmosphere pressure without arcing. The physical and mechanical properties of composites produced through vacuum bagging using microwave and thermal curing were compared and the multistep （2-step or 3-step） microwave curing process for improved compressive properties was established. The results indicated that microwave cured samples had somewhat differentiated molecular structure and showed slightly higher glass transition temperature. The 2-step process was found to be more conducive to the enhancement of the compressive strength than the 3-step process. A 39% cure cycle time reduction and a 22% compressive strength increment were achieved for the composites manufactured with microwave radiation. The improvement in specific compressive strength was attributed to better interracial bonding between resin matrix and the fibers, which was also demonstrated via scanning electron microscopy analysis.