Cell polarization in ischemic stroke: molecular mechanisms and advances

Ischemic stroke is a cerebrovascular disease associated with high mortality and disability rates. Since the inflammation and immune response play a central role in driving ischemic damage, it becomes essential to modulate excessive inflammatory reactions to promote cell survival and facilitate tissue repair around the injury site. Various cell types are involved in the inflammatory response, including microglia, astrocytes, and neutrophils, each exhibiting distinct phenotypic profiles upon stimulation. They display either proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory states, a phenomenon known as ‘cell polarization.’ There are two cell polarization therapy strategies. The first involves inducing cells into a neuroprotective phenotype in vitro, then reintroducing them autologously. The second approach utilizes small molecular substances to directly affect cells in vivo. In this review, we elucidate the polarization dynamics of the three reactive cell populations(microglia, astrocytes, and neutrophils) in the context of ischemic stroke, and provide a comprehensive summary of the molecular mechanisms involved in their phenotypic switching. By unraveling the complexity of cell polarization, we hope to offer insights for future research on neuroinflammation and novel therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke.

Defects‑Rich Heterostructures Trigger Strong Polarization Coupling in Sulfides/Carbon Composites with Robust Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Defects-rich heterointerfaces integrated with adjustable crystalline phases and atom vacancies,as well as veiled dielectric-responsive character,are instrumental in electromagnetic dissipation.Conventional methods,however,constrain their delicate constructions.Herein,an innovative alternative is proposed:carrageenan-assistant cations-regulated(CACR)strategy,which induces a series of sulfides nanoparticles rooted in situ on the surface of carbon matrix.This unique configuration originates from strategic vacancy formation energy of sulfides and strong sulfides-carbon support interaction,benefiting the delicate construction of defects-rich heterostructures in M_(x)S_(y)/carbon composites(M-CAs).Impressively,these generated sulfur vacancies are firstly found to strengthen electron accumulation/consumption ability at heterointerfaces and,simultaneously,induct local asymmetry of electronic structure to evoke large dipole moment,ultimately leading to polarization coupling,i.e.,defect-type interfacial polarization.Such“Janus effect”(Janus effect means versatility,as in the Greek two-headed Janus)of interfacial sulfur vacancies is intuitively confirmed by both theoretical and experimental investigations for the first time.Consequently,the sulfur vacancies-rich heterostructured Co/Ni-CAs displays broad absorption bandwidth of 6.76 GHz at only 1.8 mm,compared to sulfur vacancies-free CAs without any dielectric response.Harnessing defects-rich heterostructures,this one-pot CACR strategy may steer the design and development of advanced nanomaterials,boosting functionality across diverse application domains beyond electromagnetic response.

Bioinspired Passive Tactile Sensors Enabled by Reversible Polarization of Conjugated Polymers

Tactile perception plays a vital role for the human body and is also highly desired for smart prosthesis and advanced robots.Compared to active sensing devices,passive piezoelectric and triboelectric tactile sensors consume less power,but lack the capability to resolve static stimuli.Here,we address this issue by utilizing the unique polarization chemistry of conjugated polymers for the first time and propose a new type of bioinspired,passive,and bio-friendly tactile sensors for resolving both static and dynamic stimuli.Specifically,to emulate the polarization process of natural sensory cells,conjugated polymers(including poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophen e):poly(styrenesulfonate),polyaniline,or polypyrrole)are controllably polarized into two opposite states to create artificial potential differences.The controllable and reversible polarization process of the conjugated polymers is fully in situ characterized.Then,a micro-structured ionic electrolyte is employed to imitate the natural ion channels and to encode external touch stimulations into the variation in potential difference outputs.Compared with the currently existing tactile sensing devices,the developed tactile sensors feature distinct characteristics including fully organic composition,high sensitivity(up to 773 mV N^(−1)),ultralow power consumption(nW),as well as superior bio-friendliness.As demonstrations,both single point tactile perception(surface texture perception and material property perception)and two-dimensional tactile recognitions(shape or profile perception)with high accuracy are successfully realized using self-defined machine learning algorithms.This tactile sensing concept innovation based on the polarization chemistry of conjugated polymers opens up a new path to create robotic tactile sensors and prosthetic electronic skins.

High-dose dexamethasone regulates microglial polarization via the GR/JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway after traumatic brain injury

Although microglial polarization and neuroinflammation are crucial cellular responses after traumatic brain injury,the fundamental regulatory and functional mechanisms remain insufficiently understood.As potent anti-inflammato ry agents,the use of glucoco rticoids in traumatic brain injury is still controversial,and their regulatory effects on microglial polarization are not yet known.In the present study,we sought to determine whether exacerbation of traumatic brain injury caused by high-dose dexamethasone is related to its regulatory effects on microglial polarization and its mechanisms of action.In vitro cultured BV2 cells and primary microglia and a controlled cortical impact mouse model were used to investigate the effects of dexamethasone on microglial polarization.Lipopolysaccharide,dexamethasone,RU486(a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist),and ruxolitinib(a Janus kinase 1 antagonist)were administered.RNA-sequencing data obtained from a C57BL/6 mouse model of traumatic brain injury were used to identify potential targets of dexamethasone.The Morris water maze,quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction,western blotting,immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy analysis,and TUNEL,Nissl,and Golgi staining were performed to investigate our hypothesis.High-throughput sequencing results showed that arginase 1,a marker of M2 microglia,was significantly downregulated in the dexamethasone group compared with the traumatic brain injury group at3 days post-traumatic brain injury.Thus dexamethasone inhibited M1 and M2 microglia,with a more pronounced inhibitory effect on M2microglia in vitro and in vivo.Glucocorticoid receptor plays an indispensable role in microglial polarization after dexamethasone treatment following traumatic brain injury.Additionally,glucocorticoid receptor activation increased the number of apoptotic cells and neuronal death,and also decreased the density of dendritic spines.A possible downstream receptor signaling mechanism is the GR/JAK1/STAT3 pathway.Overactivation of glucocorticoid receptor by high-dose dexamethasone reduced the expression of M2 microglia,which plays an antiinflammatory role.In contrast,inhibiting the activation of glucocorticoid receptor reduced the number of apoptotic glia and neurons and decreased the loss of dendritic spines after traumatic brain injury.Dexamethasone may exe rt its neurotoxic effects by inhibiting M2 microglia through the GR/JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Pharmacological targeting cGAS/STING/NF-κB axis by tryptanthrin induces microglia polarization toward M2 phenotype and promotes functional recovery in a mouse model of spinal cord injury

The M1/M2 phenotypic shift of microglia after spinal cord injury plays an important role in the regulation of neuroinflammation during the secondary injury phase of spinal cord injury.Regulation of shifting microglia polarization from M1(neurotoxic and proinflammatory type)to M2(neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory type)after spinal cord injury appears to be crucial.Tryptanthrin possesses an anti-inflammatory biological function.However,its roles and the underlying molecular mechanisms in spinal cord injury remain unknown.In this study,we found that tryptanthrin inhibited microglia-derived inflammation by promoting polarization to the M2 phenotype in vitro.Tryptanthrin promoted M2 polarization through inactivating the cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway.Additionally,we found that targeting the cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway with tryptanthrin shifted microglia from the M1 to M2 phenotype after spinal cord injury,inhibited neuronal loss,and promoted tissue repair and functional recovery in a mouse model of spinal cord injury.Finally,using a conditional co-culture system,we found that microglia treated with tryptanthrin suppressed endoplasmic reticulum stress-related neuronal apoptosis.Taken together,these results suggest that by targeting the cGAS/STING/NF-κB axis,tryptanthrin attenuates microglia-derived neuroinflammation and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury through shifting microglia polarization to the M2 phenotype.

Overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor prevents neurotoxic polarization of astrocytes via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in experimental ischemic stroke

Neurotoxic astrocytes are a promising therapeutic target for the attenuation of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.Low-density lipoprotein receptor,a classic cholesterol regulatory receptor,has been found to inhibit NLR family pyrin domain containing protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome activation in neurons following ischemic stroke and to suppress the activation of microglia and astrocytes in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.However,little is known about the effects of low-density lipoprotein receptor on astrocytic activation in ischemic stroke.To address this issue in the present study,we examined the mechanisms by which low-density lipoprotein receptor regulates astrocytic polarization in ischemic stroke models.First,we examined low-density lipoprotein receptor expression in astrocytes via immunofluorescence staining and western blotting analysis.We observed significant downregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor following middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation.Second,we induced the astrocyte-specific overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor using astrocyte-specific adeno-associated virus.Low-density lipoprotein receptor overexpression in astrocytes improved neurological outcomes in middle cerebral artery occlusion mice and reversed neurotoxic astrocytes to create a neuroprotective phenotype.Finally,we found that the overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injured astrocytes and that the addition of nigericin,an NLRP3 agonist,restored the neurotoxic astrocyte phenotype.These findings suggest that low-density lipoprotein receptor could inhibit the NLRP3-meidiated neurotoxic polarization of astrocytes and that increasing low-density lipoprotein receptor in astrocytes might represent a novel strategy for treating cerebral ischemic stroke.

Inhibiting SHP2 reduces glycolysis, promotes microglial M1 polarization, and alleviates secondary inflammation following spinal cord injury in a mouse model

Reducing the secondary inflammatory response, which is partly mediated by microglia, is a key focus in the treatment of spinal cord injury. Src homology 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2(SHP2), encoded by PTPN11, is widely expressed in the human body and plays a role in inflammation through various mechanisms. Therefore, SHP2 is considered a potential target for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases. However, its role in secondary inflammation after spinal cord injury remains unclear. In this study, SHP2 was found to be abundantly expressed in microglia at the site of spinal cord injury. Inhibition of SHP2 expression using siRNA and SHP2 inhibitors attenuated the microglial inflammatory response in an in vitro lipopolysaccharide-induced model of inflammation. Notably, after treatment with SHP2 inhibitors, mice with spinal cord injury exhibited significantly improved hind limb locomotor function and reduced residual urine volume in the bladder. Subsequent in vitro experiments showed that, in microglia stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, inhibiting SHP2 expression promoted M2 polarization and inhibited M1 polarization. Finally, a co-culture experiment was conducted to assess the effect of microglia treated with SHP2 inhibitors on neuronal cells. The results demonstrated that inflammatory factors produced by microglia promoted neuronal apoptosis, while inhibiting SHP2 expression mitigated these effects. Collectively, our findings suggest that SHP2 enhances secondary inflammation and neuronal damage subsequent to spinal cord injury by modulating microglial phenotype. Therefore, inhibiting SHP2 alleviates the inflammatory response in mice with spinal cord injury and promotes functional recovery postinjury.

一种基于Polar译码度量选择的第三方高效PDCCH盲检方法

为研究和设计面向第三方场景的高效盲检方法,提出了一种基于Polar译码度量选择的第三方高效PDCCH盲检方法,其技术路线包括Polar译码算法与物理的下行控制信道(PDCCH)盲检算法2个板块.基于Polar译码盲检算法,引入一种基于下行控制信息(DCI)长度的Polar译码度量,提出了改进的基于Polar译码度量选择的第三方盲检方法.基于PDCCH盲检算法,引入一种重排序盲检算法.将改进的Polar译码算法与重排序盲检算法有机结合,提出面向第三方场景的高效PDCCH盲检方法.基于MATLAB平台搭建5G PDCCH盲检仿真链路,对所提方法进行验证与分析.结果表明,该方法能够同时有效减小PDCCH盲检次数与DCI候选长度数量,在保证目标捕获准确率的前提下提高盲检效率.

Ellipsometric configurations using a phase retarder and a rotating polarizer and analyzer at any speed ratio

In this paper, we propose an ellipsometer using a phase retarder and rotating polarizer and analyzer at a speed ratio I：N. Different ellipsometric configurations are presented by assuming N = 1, 2, and 3. Moreover, two values of the offset angle of the retarder are considered for each ellipsometric configuration. The Mueller formalism is employed to extract the Stokes parameters, from which the intensity received by the detector is obtained. The optical properties of c-Si are calculated using all configurations. A comparison between different configurations is carried out considering the effect of the noise on the results and the uncertainties in the ellipsometric parameters as functions of the uncertainties of the Fourier coefficients. It is found that the alignment of the phase retarder has a crucial impact on the results and the ellipsometric configuration with speed ratio 1：1 is preferred over the other configurations.

Compact TE-pass polarizer based on lithium-niobate-on-insulator assisted by indium tin oxide and silicon nitride

An indium tin oxide(ITO) and silicon nitride(Si_(3)N_(4)) assisted compact TE-pass waveguide polarizer based on lithiumniobate-on-insulator is proposed and numerically analyzed.By properly designing the ITO and Si_(3)N_(4) assisted structure and utilizing the epsilon-near-zero effect of ITO,the TM mode is strongly confined in the ITO layer with extremely high loss,while the TE mode is hardly affected and passes through the waveguide with low loss.The simulation results show that the polarizer has an extinction ratio of 22.5 dB and an insertion loss of 0.8 dB at the wavelength of 1.55 μm,and has an operating bandwidth of about 125 nm(from 1540 nm to 1665 nm) for an extinction ratio of>20 dB and an insertion loss of<0.95 dB.Moreover,the proposed device exhibits large fabrication tolerances.More notably,the device is compact,with a length of only 7.5 μm,and is appropriate for on-chip applications.

Precision integration of grating-based polarizers onto focal plane arrays of near-infrared photovoltaic detectors for enhanced contrast polarimetric imaging

Polarimetric imaging enhances the ability to distinguish objects from a bright background by detecting their particular polarization status,which offers another degree of freedom in infrared remote sensing.However,to scale up by monolithically integrating grating-based polarizers onto a focal plane array(FPA)of infrared detectors,fundamental technical obstacles must be overcome,including reductions of the extinction ratio by the misalignment between the polarizer and the detector,grating line width fluctuations,the line edge roughness,etc.This paper reports the authors’latest achievements in overcoming those problems by solving key technical issues regarding the integration of large-scale polarizers onto the chips of FPAs with individual indium gallium arsenide/indium phosphide(In Ga As/In P)sensors as the basic building blocks.Polarimetric and photovoltaic chips with divisions of the focal plane of 540×4 pixels and 320×256 superpixels have been successfully manufactured.Polarimetric imaging with enhanced contrast has been demonstrated.The progress made in this work has opened up a broad avenue toward industrialization of high quality polarimetric imaging in infrared wavelengths.

融合路径度量值和行重特性的Polar码SCL译码算法

首先提出基于初始对数似然比(Log-Likelihood Ratio,LR)与路径度量值(Path Metric,PM)的PM-LLR-SCL译码算法,在接收端初始LLR和PM值之间建立映射关系,并通过重排PM值完成翻转功能。其次,提出基于极化码生成矩阵的行重特性和PM值的PM-RW-SCL译码算法,不仅考虑了Polar码的最小码距和极化子信道可靠度,同时将路径分裂每一层的PM值引入到译码策略中,从而提高了译码性能。仿真结果显示,与串行抵消列表比特翻转(Successive Cancellation List Bit-flip,SCLF)相比,提出的PM-LLR-SCL算法最大可获得约0.23 dB的性能增益,而基于路径数量的复杂度降低了约62%;与基于行权重的串行抵消列表翻转译码算法相比,PM-RW-SCL算法最大可获得约1.5 dB的性能增益,而复杂度降低了约39%。

动态扰动辅助的串行抵消双比特翻转Polar译码算法

针对串行抵消翻转译码算法(Successive Cancellation Flip,SCF)受限于单比特翻转而性能提升有限问题,提出了一种双比特翻转译码算法(Successive Cancellation Flip with 2 Bits,SCF2)。针对SCP算法扰动方差初始值固定的问题,设计了一种扰动方差可随码长和码率变化的改进SCP算法。在此基础上,结合翻转和扰动机制,提出了一种动态扰动辅助的串行抵消双比特翻转(Dynamic Perturbation-Aided SCF2,DPA-SCF2)译码算法,并对其译码复杂度和性能进行了分析。仿真结果显示,相比于列表长度为4的循环冗余校验辅助串行抵消列表(Cyclic Redundancy Check Aided Successive Cancellation List,CA-SCL)译码算法,所提算法最大可获得约0.5 dB的性能增益。

A Transmission-Type Electrically Tunable Polarizer Based on Graphene Ribbons at Terahertz Wave Band

We theoretically and numerically demonstrate that a transmission-type electrically tunable polarizer can be realized by using graphene ribbons supported on a dielectric film with a graphene sheet behind. The polarization mechanism originates from the antenna plasmon resonance of graphene stripes. The results of full-wave numerical simulations reveal that transmittance of 0.70 for one polarization and 0.0073 for another polarization can be obtained at normal incidence. The transmission-type electrically tunable polarizer provides and facilitates a variety of applications, including filtering, detecting, and imaging.

Attenuation characteristics of a light attenuator combined by polarizers with different extinction ratios

This paper deals with a systematical analysis and an algorithm of attenuation characteristics of a light attenuator combined by n pieces of polarizers （n-LACP） whose extinction ratios are different from each other. The attenuation ratio expression of a two-LACP is deduced. We find that the monotonic attenuation interval depends on the first polarizer and that the attenuation range depends on the second one. For the three-LACP, a method for obtaining a monotonic attenuation interval is proposed. Moreover, the attenuation ratio expression is demonstrated. Analysis and experiment show that when the initial status of the three-LACP is at the maximum output, if the second or third polarizer rotates alone, the minimum attenuation ratios can reach K2^-1 and K3^-1, respectively, and if the first polarizer rotates, a minimum attenuation ratio of K2^-1K3^-1 can be obtained （K1, K2 and K3 represent the extinction ratios of the three polarizers in turn）. Furthermore, the attenuation ratio expression of n-LACP and the relevant attenuation characteristics are proposed. The minimum attenuation ratio of an n-LACP is （K2K3 ... Kn）-1.

Instantaneous phase-stepping interferometry based on a pixelated micro-polarizer array

In this paper, we propose an instantaneous phase-stepping method for determining phase distribution of interference fringes utilizing a camera that is equipped with a micro-polarizer array on the sensor plane. An optical setup of polarization interferometry using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with two polarizers is constructed. Light emerging from the interferometer is recorded using a camera that has a micro-polarizer array. This micro-polarizer array has four different optical axes. That is, an image obtained by the camera contains four types of information corresponding to four different optical axes of the polarizer. The four images separated from the image recorded by the camera are reconstructed using gray level interpolation. Subsequently, the distributions of the Stokes parameters that represent the state of polarization are calculated from the four images. The phase distribution of the interference fringe pattern produced by the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is then obtained from these Stokes parameters, The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by measuring a static carrier pattern and time-variant fringe patterns. It is emphasized that this method is applicable to time-variant phenomena because multiple exposures are unnecessary for sufficient data acquisition in the completion of the phase analysis.

Multi-band circular polarizer based on a twisted triple split-ring resonator

A multi-band circular polarizer using a twisted triple split-ring resonator（TSRR） is presented and studied numerically and experimentally. At four distinct resonant frequencies, the incident linearly polarized wave can be transformed into left/right-handed circularly polarized waves. Numerical simulation results show that a y-polarized wave can be converted into a right-handed circularly polarized wave at 5.738 GHz and 9.218 GHz, while a left-handed circularly polarized wave is produced at 7.292 GHz and 10.118 GHz. The experimental results are in agreement with the numerical results. The surface current distributions are investigated to illustrate the polarization transformation mechanism. Furthermore, the influences of the structure parameters of the circular polarizer on transmission spectra are discussed as well.

FSS Based Circular Polarizer for High-Speed Wireless Communication at 75 GHz

An FSS based circular polarizer for high-speed wireless communication at 75 GHz is presented. It has been designed on a low loss substrate with cross-dipole elements. Both simulation and measured results showed more than 98% circular polarization at 75 GHz. Moreover, 3 dB axial-ratio bandwidth of 6.8 GHz (Simulation) and 7.8 GHz (Measured) has been achieved. The proposed design has many advantages over the recently published research such as simplicity, low-profile, percentage bandwidth, frequency of operation and relative insertion loss.

A Novel Polarizer Made from Two-Dimensional Photonic Bandgap Materials

We demonstrate theoretically that two-dimensional photonic bandgap materials are indeed perfect polarizers provided that they have a proper photonic band structure along the incident direction of light.This kind of polarizer is fundamentally different from the conventional ones.It can function in a wide frequency range with high performance and its size can be made very compact,which renders it useful as a micropolarizer in micro-optics.

A Polarizer with Sinusoidal Grooves in the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating System of the HL-2A Tokamak

Theoretical calculation and experimental results for a polarizer with sinusoidal grooves used in the electron cyclotron resonance heating （ECRH） system of the HL-2A tokamak are presented. The calculation is based on an integral method developed in the vector theory of diffraction gratings, and the polarization characteristics obtained with a low-power test are in good agreement with the numerical calculated results. With the polarizer assembled in a miter bend in the ECRH transmission line, pure ordinary mode （O-mode） and extraordinary mode （X-mode） polarized waves are also expected in the high-power experiment, depending on the polarizer rotation angle and the toroidal injection angle of the electron cyclotron （EC） wave beam. Second-harmonic X-mode experiments were successfully explored in HL-2A. Experimental result revealed that the electron temperature increased from 0.8 keV （Ohmic heating phase） to 1.5 keV （second X-mode heating phase）.