A von-Neumann-like photonic processor and its application in studying quantum signature of chaos

Photonic quantum computation plays an important role and offers unique advantages.Two decades after the milestone work of Knill-Laflamme-Milburn,various architectures of photonic processors have been proposed,and quantum advantage over classical computers has also been demonstrated.It is now the opportune time to apply this technology to real-world applications.However,at current technology level,this aim is restricted by either programmability in bulk optics or loss in integrated optics for the existing architectures of processors,for which the resource cost is also a problem.Here we present a von-Neumann-like architecture based on temporal-mode encoding and looped structure on table,which is capable of multimode-universal programmability,resource-efficiency,phasestability and software-scalability.In order to illustrate these merits,we execute two different programs with varying resource requirements on the same processor,to investigate quantum signature of chaos from two aspects:the signature behaviors exhibited in phase space(13 modes),and the Fermi golden rule which has not been experimentally studied in quantitative way before(26 modes).The maximal program contains an optical interferometer network with 1694 freely-adjustable phases.Considering current state-of-the-art,our architecture stands as the most promising candidate for real-world applications.

Jiedu Recipe,a compound Chinese herbal medicine,inhibits cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma via Wnt/β-catenin pathway under hypoxia

Objective Jiedu Recipe(JR),a Chinese herbal remedy,has been shown to prolong overall survival time and decrease recurrence and metastasis rates in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).This work investigated the mechanism of JR in HCC treatment.Methods The chemical constituents of JR were detected using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.The potential anti-HCC mechanism of JR was screened using network pharmacology and messenger ribonucleic acid(mRNA)microarray chip assay,followed by experimental validation in human HCC cells(SMMC-7721 and Huh7)in vitro and a nude mouse subcutaneous transplantation model of HCC in vivo.HCC cell characteristics of proliferation,migration and invasion under hypoxic setting were investigated using thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide,wound healing and Transwell assays,respectively.Image-i^(TM)Hypoxia Reagent was added to reveal hypoxic conditions.Stem cell sphere formation assay was used to detect the stemness.Epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)markers like E-cadherin,vimentin andα-smooth muscle actin,and pluripotent transcription factors including nanog homeobox,octamer-binding transcription factor 4,and sex-determining region Y box protein 2 were analyzed using Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction.Western blot was performed to ascertain the anti-HCC effect of JR under hypoxia involving the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.Results According to network pharmacology and mRNA microarray chip analysis,JR may potentially act on hypoxia and inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that JR significantly decreased hypoxia,and suppressed HCC cell features of proliferation,migration and invasion;furthermore,the hypoxia-induced increases in EMT and stemness marker expression in HCC cells were inhibited by JR.Results based on the co-administration of JR and an agonist(LiCl)or inhibitor(IWR-1-endo)verified that JR suppressed HCC cancer stem-like properties under hypoxia by blocking the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.Conclusion JR exerts potent anti-HCC effects by inhibiting cancer stemness via abating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway under hypoxic conditions.

Physical exercise suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by alleviating hypoxia and attenuating cancer stemness through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway

Objective:Physical exercise,a common non-drug intervention,is an important strategy in cancer treatment,including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,the mechanism remains largely unknown.Due to the importance of hypoxia and cancer stemness in the development of HCC,the present study investigated whether the anti-HCC effect of physical exercise is related to its suppression on hypoxia and cancer stemness.Methods:A physical exercise intervention of swimming(30 min/d,5 d/week,for 4 weeks)was administered to BALB/c nude mice bearing subcutaneous human HCC tumor.The anti-HCC effect of swimming was assessed in vivo by tumor weight monitoring,hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining,and immunohistochemistry(IHC)detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)and Ki67.The expression of stemness transcription factors,including Nanog homeobox(NANOG),octamer-binding transcription factor 4(OCT-4),v-Myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog(C-MYC)and hypoxia-inducible factor-1a(HIF-1a),was detected using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.A hypoxia probe was used to explore the intratumoral hypoxia status.Western blot was used to detect the expression of HIF-1a and proteins related to protein kinase B(Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β)/β-catenin signaling pathway.The IHC analysis of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1(CD31),and the immunofluorescence co-location of CD31 and desmin were used to analyze tumor blood perfusion.SMMC-7721 cells were treated with nude mice serum.The inhibition effect on cancer stemness in vitro was detected using suspension sphere experiments and the expression of stemness transcription factors.The hypoxia status was inferred by measuring the protein and mRNA levels of HIF-1a.Further,the expression of proteins related to Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway was detected.Results:Swimming significantly reduced the body weight and tumor weight in nude mice bearing HCC tumor.HE staining and IHC results showed a lower necrotic area ratio as well as fewer PCNA or Ki67 positive cells in mice receiving the swimming intervention.Swimming potently alleviated the intratumoral hypoxia,attenuated the cancer stemness,and inhibited the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway.Additionally,the desmin+/CD31+ratio,rather than the number of CD31+vessels,was significantly increased in swimming-treated mice.In vitro experiments showed that treating cells with the serum from the swimming intervention mice significantly reduced the formation of SMMC-7721 cell suspension sphere,as well as the m RNA expression level of stemness transcription factors.Consistent with the in vivo results,HIF-1a and Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway were also inhibited in cells treated with serum from swimming group.Conclusion:Swimming alleviated hypoxia and attenuated cancer stemness in HCC,through suppression of the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway.The alleviation of intratumoral hypoxia was related to the increase in blood perfusion in the tumor.