High-performance chiral all-optical OR logic gate based on topological edge states of valley photonic crystal

For all-optical communication and information processing,it is necessary to develop all-optical logic gates based on photonic structures that can directly perform logic operations.All-optical logic gates have been demonstrated based on conventional waveguides and interferometry,as well as photonic crystal structures.Nonetheless,any defects in those structures will introduce high scattering loss,which compromises the fidelity and contrast ratio of the information process.Based on the spin-valley locking effect that can achieve defect-immune unidirectional transmission of topological edge states in valley photonic crystals(VPCs),we propose a high-performance all-optical logic OR gate based on a VPC structure.By tuning the working bandwidth of the two input channels,we prevent interference between the two channels to achieve a stable and high-fidelity output.The transmittance of both channels is higher than 0.8,and a high contrast ratio of 28.8 dB is achieved.Moreover,the chirality of the logic gate originated from the spin-valley locking effect allows using different circularly polarized light as inputs,representing“1”or“0”,which is highly desired in quantum computing.The device’s footprint is 18μm×12μm,allowing high-density on-chip integration.In addition,this design can be experimentally fabricated using current nanofabrication techniques and will have potential applications in optical communication,information processing,and quantum computing.

The Effect of Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation on Functional Capacity,Behavior,and Risk Factors in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome in China

Aim:To investigate the effect of home-based cardiac rehabilitation on functional capacity,health behavior,and risk factors in patients with acute coronary syndrome in China.Methods:Eighty patients with acute coronary syndrome were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled study.Patients in the cardiac rehabilitation group(n=52)received home-based cardiac rehabilitation with a heart manual and a home exercise video for 3 months and patients in the control group(n=28)received only routine secondary prevention.The 6-min walk distance,laboratory test results,healthy behavior(questionnaire),quality of life(12-item Short Form Health Survey),anxiety(7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire),and depression(9-item Patient Health Questionnaire)were evaluated at the beginning and after treatment for 3 months.Results:Compared with baseline data,52 patients who participated in cardiac rehabilitation had longer 6-min walk distance(515.26±113.74 m vs 0.445.30±97.92 m,P<0.0002),higher proportions of“always exercise”(78.26% vs.28%,P<0.05),“always limit food with sugar”(65.22% vs 12%,P<0.05),“always eat fruits 200–400 g every day”(82.61% vs.4%,P<0.05).and“always eat vegetables 300–500 g every day”(21.74%vs.12%,P<0.06)after treatment for 3 months.The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol control rate(52.17% vs.28%,P<0.05)and the systolic blood pressure control rate(100%vs.68%,P<0.05)were also signifi cantly increased after treatment for 3 months in the cardiac rehabilitation group.No signifi cant increase was found in the control group after treatment for 3 months.No cardiac-event related to home exercise was reported in both groups.Conclusion:Home-based cardiac rehabilitation is a feasible and available cardiac rehabilitation mode in China.

Comparative transcriptome analysis uncovers the regulatory functions of long noncoding RNAs in fruit development and color changes of Fragaria pentaphylla

To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying fruit development and color change,comparative transcriptome analysis was employed to generate transcriptome profiles of two typical wild varieties of Fragaria pentaphylla at three fruit developmental stages(green fruit stage,turning stage,and ripe fruit stage).We identified 25,699 long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)derived from 25,107 loci in the F.pentaphylla fruit transcriptome,which showed distinct stage-and genotype-specific expression patterns.Time course analysis detected a large number of differentially expressed protein-coding genes and lncRNAs associated with fruit development and ripening in both of the F.pentaphylla varieties.The target genes downregulated in the late stages were enriched in terms of photosynthesis and cell wall organization or biogenesis,suggesting that lncRNAs may act as negative regulators to suppress photosynthesis and cell wall organization or biogenesis during fruit development and ripening of F.pentaphylla.Pairwise comparisons of two varieties at three developmental stages identified 365 differentially expressed lncRNAs in total.Functional annotation of target genes suggested that lncRNAs in F.pentaphylla may play roles in fruit color formation by regulating the expression of structural genes or regulatory factors.Construction of the regulatory network further revealed that the low expression of Fra a and CHS may be the main cause of colorless fruit in F.pentaphylla.

Prevalence and Spectrum of Complex Congenital Heart Disease in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at High Altitude in China

Background:Previous studies from high altitudes have reported significantly higher prevalence of congenital heart disease(CHD),consisting almost solely of simple CHD.Little is known about the occurrence of complex CHD.Neonates with complex CHD are likely admitted to NICU.We examined the prevalence and spectrum of complex CHD in NICU in order to depict a truer picture of CHD at high altitude.Methods:We reviewed charts of 4,214 neonates admitted to NICU in Qinghai province(average altitude 3,000 m).Echocardiography was performed in 1,943 babies when CHD was suspected based on clinical examinations.Results:CHD was diagnosed in 1,093(56.3%of echoed babies).Mild CHD in 96.8%(1058 babies).Moderate CHD in 0.8%(9)included 1(0.1%)large secundum atrial septal defect,3(0.3%)moderate pulmonary stenosis,2(0.2%)aortic stenosis and 3(0.3%)partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection.Severe CHD in 2.4%(26)included 6(0.5%)complete atrioventricular septal defect,5(0.5%)complete transposition of the great arteries,5(0.5%)hypoplastic right heart,3(0.3%)hypoplastic left heart,3(0.3%)double outlet right ventricle,3(0.3%)tetralogy of Fallot,2(0.2%)truncus arteriosus,2(0.2%)total anomalous pulmonary venous connection,2(0.2%)severe aortic stenosis,2(0.2%)interrupted aortic arch and 2(0.2%)severe pulmonary stenosis and 1(0.1%)single-ventricle abnormality.At two-years follow-up in 737(67.4%)patients,18(90%)with severe CHD and 38(5.3%)with mild and moderate CHD died,and 15 underwent cardiac surgery with 1 early death.Conclusions:At high altitude,a wide spectrum of CHD exists,with many heretofore unreported complex CHD.There is urgent need for routine echocardiography and early interventions in newborns particularly in NICU.

Research on Carbon Reduction Strategy of China’s Industrial Chain with the Goal of Carbon Emission Peak and Carbon Neutrality

In order to achieve the development goals of emission peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060,carbon reduction measures should be implemented in the whole industrial chain.Based on the existing research,the basic logic of carbon reduction in the industrial chain is analyzed,and then the specific strategies for carbon reduction in the industrial chain are proposed,including:reducing the use of fossil energy and vigorously developing the new energy industry;reducing carbon through energy conservation,industrial upgrading,development of circular economy,and application of carbon capture technology;reducing carbon through low-carbon transformation of logistics industry,innovation of trading methods,and promotion of low-carbon green consumption.The external guarantee system for carbon reduction includes the introduction of relevant policies,laws and regulations,and the use of carbon emission trading mechanism.

Time-Effect Relationship of Toxicity Induced by Roundup and Its Main Constituents in Liver of Carassius Auratus

In order to evaluate the eco-toxicological effects of Roundup&reg on Carassius auratus (C. auratus), fish were exposed to 32 μg/L Roundup&reg, isopropylamine salt of glyphosate (G.I.S) and polyoxyethylene amine (POEA) over different periods (0.5, 1, 3, 7 and 14 d). Hydroxyl radical (·OH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in liver were detected in this study. Results showed that the generation of ·OH increased before 7 d, but without significantly difference. ·OH was induced at 1 d for POEA group, 3 d for Roundup&reg group and 7 d for G.I.S group. At 14 d, ·OH generation returned to normal levels. MDA contents all increased significantly (p < 0.01) during 7 days and then reached a normal level at 14 d. AChE activity in all group tests revealed a significant inhibition (p < 0.01) after 7 days exposure and then rebounded a little, but remained below the control after 14 days exposure. The rate of AChE inhibition range from 13% - 42% in Roundup&reg, 6% - 40% in G.I.S, and 21% - 54% in POEA, suggesting that POEA was more toxic compared to Roundup&reg and G.I.S. 32 μg/L Roundup&reg exposure led to the change of physiological and biochemical indexes in C. auratus, which was a reversible process in the long run.

Pathological BBB Crossing Melanin-Like Nanoparticles as Metal-Ion Chelators and Neuroinflammation Regulators against Alzheimer’s Disease

Inflammatory responses,manifested in excessive oxidative stress and microglia overactivation,together with metal ion-triggered amyloid-beta(Aβ)deposition,are critical hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease(AD).The intricate pathogenesis causes severe impairment of neurons,which,in turn,exacerbates Aβaggregation and facilitates AD progression.Herein,multifunctional melanin-like metal ion chelators and neuroinflammation regulators(named PDA@K)were constructed for targeted treatment of AD.In this platform,intrinsically bioactive material polydopamine nanoparticles(PDA)with potent metal ion chelating and ROS scavenging effects were decorated with the KLVFF peptide,endowing the system with the capacity of enhanced pathological blood–brain barrier(BBB)crossing and lesion site accumulation via Aβhitchhiking.In vitro and in vivo experiment revealed that PDA@K had high affinity toward Aβand were able to hitch a ride on Aβto achieve increased pathological BBB crossing.The engineered PDA@K effectively mitigated Aβaggregate and alleviated neuroinflammation.

Unique three-component co-assembly among AIEgen,L-GSH,and Ag^(+)for the formation of helical nanowires

Nature has selected,produced,and evolved numerous molecular architectural motifs over billions of years for particular bio-functions.During this process,molecular self-assembly plays a critically important role.Inspired by these delicate assemblies,scientists devote themselves to developing various sophisticated complexes assembled by diverse and numerous structural motifs.By far,most of the examples focus on single-molecule self-assembly or co-assembly between two molecules,seldom works report the co-assembly among three building blocks due to the substantially increased complexity and decreased controllability.Here we report a novel three-component co-assembly among L-glutathione(L-GSH),AgNO_(3),and an aggregation-induced emission luminogen(AIEgen),namely triphenylamine-pyridinium(abbreviated to TPA-Py).TPA-Py,L-GSH,and Ag^(+)co-assemble into numerous long and ordered nanowires with left-handed helices,which show remarkable AIE properties that can be observed by naked eyes.This effect is only detected in this system,the replacement of TPA-Py with other AIEgens,L-GSH with other cysteine derivatives or anions,Ag^(+)with other metal ions,could not lead to the unique AIE effect,which endows this system with high specificity and controllability.This work provides new insight into the design of biomolecule recognition systems and discloses that ternary co-assembly could become a facile route to build sophisticated nanobiomaterials.

Toxicological effects involved in risk assessment of rare earth lanthanum on roots of Vicia faba L.seedlings

Combined chemical analyses and biological measurements were utilized to investigate potential toxicological effects and possible mechanisms involved in risk assessment of rare earth elements （REEs） on Viciafaba L. seedlings, which were hydroponically cultivated and exposed to various concentrations of lanthanum （La） for 15 days. The results showed that La contents in both the solution and roots increased with the increase of extraneous La, contributing to hormetic dose responses of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT）, guaiacol peroxidase （GPX）, ascorbate peroxidase （APX） and endoprotease （EP） isozymes activities, and HSP 70 production enhanced at low doses but suppressed at higher doses of La. These physiological responses constituted antioxidant and detoxification systems against La-induced oxidative stress. The elevated La levels also contributed to oxidatively modified proteins, which were most responsible for subsequent cell death and growth retardation of the roots. By combination of hormetic and traditional threshold dose levels, the threshold dose range was deduced to be 108-195 μg La/g dry weight in the roots, corresponding to 0.90-3.12 mg/L of soluble La in the culture solution. It suggests that persistent applications of REEs may lead to potential ecological risk in the environment.

Intelligent lesion blood–brain barrier targeting nano-missiles for Alzheimer's disease treatment by anti-neuroinflammation and neuroprotection

The treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD)is one of the most difficult challenges in neurodegenerative diseases due to the insufficient blood‒brain barrier(BBB)permeability and unsatisfactory intra-brain distribution of drugs.Therefore,we established an ibuprofen and FK506 encapsulated drug co-delivery system(Ibu&FK@RNPs),which can target the receptor of advanced glycation endproducts(RAGE)and response to the high level of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in AD.RAGE is highly and specifically expressed on the lesion neurovascular unit of AD,this property helps to improve targeting specificity of the system and reduce unselective distribution in normal brain.Meanwhile,these two drugs can be specifically released in astrocytes of AD lesion in response to high levels of ROS.As a result,the cognition of AD mice was significantly improved and the quantity of Aβplaques was decreased.Neurotoxicity was also alleviated with structural regeneration and functional recovery of neurons.Besides,the neuroinflammation dominated by NF-κB pathway was significantly inhibited with decreased NF-κB and IL-1βin the brain.Overall,Ibu&FK@RNPs can efficiently and successively target diseased BBB and astrocytes in AD lesion.Thus it significantly enhances intracephalic accumulation of drugs and efficiently treats AD by anti-neuroinflammation and neuroprotection.

Production and emission of phosphine gas from wetland ecosystems

Phosphine is a part of an atmospheric link of phosphorus cycle on earth, which could be an important pathway for phosphorus transport in environment. Wetland ecosystems are important locations for global biogeochemical phosphorus cycle. In this study, production and emission fluxes of free phosphine from four wetlands types in southern China were observed in different seasons. The results showed that the concentration of phosphine liberated from wetlands was at pg/m^3·ng/m^3 level. The emission concentrations of different wetlands followed the sequence： paddy field （51.83 ± 3.06） ng/m^3 〉/marsh （46.54 ± 20.55） ng/m^3 〉 lake （37.05 ± 22.74） ng/m^3 〉〉 coastal wetland （1.71 ± 0.73） ng/m^3, the positive phosphine emission flux occurred in rice paddy field （6.67 ± 5.18） ng/（m^2.hr） and marsh （6.23 ± 26.9） ng/（m^2.hr）, while a negative phosphine flux of （-13.11 ± 35.04） ng/（m^2.hr） was observed on the water-air interface of Lake Taihu, suggesting that paddy field and marsh may be important sources for phosphine gas in atmosphere, while lake may be a sink of atmospheric phosphine gas during the sampling period. Atmospheric phosphine levels and emission flux from Yancheng marsh and rice paddy field varied in different seasons and vegetational zones. Both diffusion resistance in aqueous phase and temperature were dominating factors for the production and transportation of phosphine to atmosphere.

BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 regulates spermatid development by changing chromatin conformation in mouse spermatogenesis

As a BET bromodomain inhibitor, JQ1 has been proven have efficacy against a number of different cancers. In terms of male reproduction, JQ1 may be used as a new type of contraceptive, since JQ1 treatment in male mice could lead to germ cell defects and a decrease of sperm motility, moreover, this effect is reversible. However, the mechanism of JQ1 acting on gene regulation in spermatogenesis remains unclear. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on mouse testes treated with JQ1 or vehicle control to determine the transcriptional regulatory function of JQ1 in spermatogenesis at the single cell resolution. We confirmed that JQ1 treatment could increase the numbers of somatic cells and spermatocytes and decrease the numbers of spermatid cells. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis demonstrated that differentially expressed genes which were down-regulated after JQ1 injection were mainly enriched in “DNA conformation change” biological process in early developmental germ cells and “spermatid development” biological process in spermatid cells. ATAC-seq data further confirmed that JQ1 injection could change the open state of chromatin. In addition, JQ1 could change the numbers of accessible meiotic DNA double-stranded break sites and the types of transcription factor motif that functioned in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. The multi-omics analysis revealed that JQ1 had the ability to regulate gene transcription by changing chromatin conformation in mouse spermatogenesis, which would potentiate the availability of JQ1 in male contraceptive.

Comparative metabolomics provides novel insights into the basis of petiole color differences in celery(Apium graveolens L.)

Plant metabolites are important for plant development and human health.Plants of celery(Apium graveolens L.)with different-colored petioles have been formed in the course of long-term evolution.However,the composition,content distribution,and mechanisms of accumulation of metabolites in different-colored petioles remain elusive.Using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS),1159 metabolites,including 100 lipids,72 organic acids and derivatives,83 phenylpropanoids and polyketides,and several alkaloids and terpenoids,were quantified in four celery cultivars,each with a different petiole color.There were significant differences in the types and contents of metabolites in celery with different-colored petioles,with the most striking difference between green celery and purple celery,followed by white celery and green celery.Annotated analysis of metabolic pathways showed that the metabolites of the different-colored petioles were significantly enriched in biosynthetic pathways such as anthocyanin,flavonoid,and chlorophyll pathways,suggesting that these metabolic pathways may play a key role in determining petiole color in celery.The content of chlorophyll in green celery was significantly higher than that in other celery cultivars,yellow celery was rich in carotenoids,and the content of anthocyanin in purple celery was significantly higher than that in the other celery cultivars.The color of the celery petioles was significantly correlated with the content of related metabolites.Among the four celery cultivars,the metabolites of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway were enriched in purple celery.The results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR)suggested that the differential expression of the chalcone synthase(CHS)gene in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway might affect the biosynthesis of anthocyanin in celery.In addition,HPLC analysis revealed that cyanidin is the main pigment in purple celery.This study explored the differences in the types and contents of metabolites in celery cultivars with different-colored petioles and identified key substances for color formation.The results provide a theoretical basis and technical support for genetic improvement of celery petiole color.

C30F12.4 influences oogenesis, fat metabolism, and lifespan in C. elegans

Reproduction, fat metabolism, and longevity are inter- twined regulatory axes; recent studies in C. elegans have provided evidence that these processes are directly coupled. However, the mechanisms by which they are coupled and the reproductive signals modu- lating fat metabolism and lifaspan are poorly under- stood. Here, we find that an oogenesis-enriched gene, c30PI2.4, is specifically expressed and located in germ cells and early embryos; when the gene is knocked out, oogenesis is disrupted and brood size is decreased. In addition to the reproductive phenotype, we find that the loss of c30f12.4 alters fat metabolism, resulting in decreased fat storage and smaller lipid droplets. Mean- while, c30f12.4 mutant worms display a shortened lifaspan. Our results highlight an important role for c30f12.4 in regulating reproduction, fat homeostasis, and aging in C. elegans, which helps us to better understand the relationship between these processes.