The F-box protein RhSAF destabilizes the gibberellic acid receptor RhGID1 to mediate ethylene-induced petal senescence in rose.

Roses are among the most popular ornamental plants cultivated worldwide for their great economic, symbolic, and cultural importance. Nevertheless, rapid petal senescence markedly reduces rose (Rosa hybrida) flower quality and value. Petal senescence is a developmental process tightly regulated by various phytohormones. Ethylene accelerates petal senescence, while gibberellic acid (GA) delays this process. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between these phytohormones in the regulation of petal senescence remain largely unclear. Here, we identified SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED F-BOX (RhSAF), an ethylene-induced F-box protein gene encoding a recognition subunit of the SCF-type E3 ligase. We demonstrated that RhSAF promotes degradation of the GA receptor GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF1 (RhGID1) to accelerate petal senescence. Silencing RhSAF expression delays petal senescence, while suppressing RhGID1 expression accelerates petal senescence. RhSAF physically interacts with RhGID1s and targets them for ubiquitin/26S proteasome-mediated degradation. Accordingly, ethylene-induced RhGID1C degradation and RhDELLA3 accumulation are compromised in RhSAF-RNAi lines. Our results demonstrate that ethylene antagonizes GA activity through RhGID1 degradation mediated by the E3 ligase RhSAF. These findings enhance our understanding of the phytohormone crosstalk regulating petal senescence and provide insights for improving flower longevity.

Polyubiquitylated rice stripe virus NS3 translocates to the nucleus to promote cytosolic virus replication via miRNA-induced fibrillin 2 upregulation.

Viruses are encapsidated mobile genetic elements that rely on host cells for replication. Several cytoplasmic RNA viruses synthesize proteins and/or RNAs that translocate to infected cell nuclei. However, the underlying mechanisms and role(s) of cytoplasmic-nuclear trafficking are unclear. We demonstrate that infection of small brown planthoppers with rice stripe virus (RSV), a negarnaviricot RNA virus, results in K63-linked polyubiquitylation of RSV's nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) at residue K127 by the RING ubiquitin ligase (E3) LsRING. In turn, ubiquitylation leads to NS3 trafficking from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where NS3 regulates primary miRNA pri-miR-92 processing through manipulation of the microprocessor complex, resulting in accumulation of upregulated miRNA lst-miR-92. We show that lst-miR-92 regulates the expression of fibrillin 2, an extracellular matrix protein, thereby increasing RSV loads. Our results highlight the manipulation of intranuclear, cytoplasmic, and extracellular components by an RNA virus to promote its own replication in an insect vector.

The high-quality genome of Cryptotaenia japonica and comparative genomics analysis reveals anthocyanin biosynthesis in Apiaceae.

Cryptotaenia japonica, a traditional medicinal and edible vegetable crops, is well-known for its attractive flavors and health care functions. As a member of the Apiaceae family, the evolutionary trajectory and biological properties of C. japonica are not clearly understood. Here, we first reported a high-quality genome of C. japonica with a total length of 427 Mb and N50 length 50.76 Mb, was anchored into 10 chromosomes, which confirmed by chromosome (cytogenetic) analysis. Comparative genomic analysis revealed C. japonica exhibited low genetic redundancy, contained a higher percentage of single-cope gene families. The homoeologous blocks, Ks, and collinearity were analyzed among Apiaceae species contributed to the evidence that C. japonica lacked recent species-specific WGD. Through comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses of Apiaceae species, we revealed the genetic basis of the production of anthocyanins. Several structural genes encoding enzymes and transcription factor genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in different species were also identified. The CjANSa, CjDFRb, and CjF3H gene might be the target of Cjaponica_2.2062 (bHLH) and Cjaponica_1.3743 (MYB). Our findings provided a high-quality reference genome of C. japonica and offered new insights into Apiaceae evolution and biology.

Polydopamine Synergizes with Quercetin Nanosystem to Reshape the Perifollicular Microenvironment for Accelerating Hair Regrowth in Androgenetic Alopecia.

Accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their resultant vascular dysfunction in androgenic alopecia (AGA) hinder hair follicle survival and cause permanent hair loss. However, safe and effective strategies to rescue hair follicle viability to enhance AGA therapeutic efficiency remain challenging. Herein, we fabricated a quercetin-encapsulated (Que) and polydopamine-integrated (PDA@QLipo) nanosystem that can reshape the perifollicular microenvironment to initial hair follicle regeneration for AGA treatment. Both the ROS scavenging and angiogenesis promotion abilities of PDA@QLipo were demonstrated. In vivo assays revealed that PDA@QLipo administrated with roller-microneedles successfully rejuvenated the "poor" perifollicular microenvironment, thereby promoting cell proliferation, accelerating hair follicle renewal, and facilitating hair follicle recovery. Moreover, PDA@QLipo achieved a higher hair regeneration coverage of 92.5% in the AGA mouse model than minoxidil (87.8%), even when dosed less frequently. The nanosystem creates a regenerative microenvironment by scavenging ROS and augmenting neovascularity for hair regrowth, presenting a promising approach for AGA clinical treatment.

Non-apoptotic regulated cell death mediates reprogramming of the tumour immune microenvironment by macrophages.

Tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) plays an indispensable role in tumour progression, and tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant immune cells in TIME. Non-apoptotic regulated cell death (RCD) can avoid the influence of tumour apoptosis resistance on anti-tumour immune response. Specifically, autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis and necroptosis mediate the crosstalk between TAMs and tumour cells in TIME, thus reprogram TIME and affect the progress of tumour. In addition, although some achievements have been made in immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), there is still defect that ICIs are only effective for some people because non-apoptotic RCD can bypass the apoptosis resistance of tumour. As a result, ICIs combined with targeting non-apoptotic RCD may be a promising solution. In this paper, the basic molecular mechanism of non-apoptotic RCD, the way in which non-apoptotic RCD mediates crosstalk between TAMs and tumour cells to reprogram TIME, and the latest research progress in targeting non-apoptotic RCD and ICIs are reviewed.

Alterations of resting-state network dynamics in Alzheimer's disease based on leading eigenvector dynamics analysis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered a transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia. Early detection of MCI can help slow down the progression of AD. At present, there are few studies exploring the characteristics of abnormal dynamic brain activity in AD. This article uses a method called Leading Eigenvector Dynamics Analysis (LEiDA) to study resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data of AD, MCI, and cognitively normal (CN) participants. By identifying repetitive states of phase coherence, inter group differences in brain dynamic activity indicators are examined. And the neurobehavioral scales were used to assess the relationship between abnormal dynamic activities and cognitive function. The results showed that in the indicators of occurrence probability and lifetime, the globally synchronized state of the patient group decreased. The activity state of the limbic regions significantly detected the difference between AD and the other two groups. Compared to CN, AD and MCI have varying degrees of increase in default and visual regions activity states. In addition, in the analysis related to the cognitive scales, it was found that individuals with poorer cognitive abilities were less active in the globally synchronized state, and more active in limbic regions activity state and visual regions activity state. Taken together, these findings reveal abnormal dynamic activity of resting-state networks in patients with AD and MCI, provide new insights into the dynamic analysis of brain networks, and contribute to a deeper understanding of abnormal spatial dynamic patterns in AD patients.

Efficacy and predictors of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with gallbladder cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown promising efficacy in multiple cancers including biliary tract cancers (BTCs). However, the data focusing on the efficacy of ICIs in patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) is still limited. In this study, we aim to assess the efficacy of ICIs in GBC and explore the clinicopathologic and molecular markers associated with ICI benefit. We retrospective analyzed 69 GBC patients who had received ICI therapy between January 2016 and December 2020. Tumor samples were obtained for genomic sequencing and immunohistochemical analysis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was 4.4 months and 8.5 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that alcohol intake history, carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) level ≥100 U/mL, and cutaneous immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. CEA level ≥100 U/mL and cutaneous irAEs were independent prognostic factors for OS. The objective response rate and disease control rate (DCR) were 15.9% and 37.7%, respectively. Patients with cutaneous irAEs, high CD8+ T cell infiltrated or immune inflamed GBCs had higher DCR. Patients with high CD8+ T cell infiltrated or immune inflamed GBCs also had a notably improved prognosis. These results suggest that ICIs were effective in patients with GBC. High CEA level, cutaneous irAEs, high CD8+ T cell infiltration, and immune inflamed phenotype could be useful for predicting the efficacy of ICIs in GBC.

YBX1 promotes stemness and cisplatin insensitivity in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma via the AKT/ß-catenin axis.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly aggressive malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis and closely linked to tumor stemness. However, the key molecules that regulate ICC stemness remain elusive. Although Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) negatively affects prognosis in various cancers by enhancing stemness and chemoresistance, its effect on stemness and cisplatin sensitivity in ICC remains unclear. METHODS: Three bulk and single-cell RNA-seq datasets were analyzed to investigate YBX1 expression in ICC and its association with stemness. Clinical samples and colony/sphere formation assays validated the role of YBX1 in stemness and sensitivity to cisplatin. AZD5363 and KYA1979K explored the interaction of YBX1 with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT) and WNT/ß-catenin pathways. RESULTS: YBX1 was significantly upregulated in ICC, correlated with worse overall survival and shorter postoperative recurrence time, and was higher in chemotherapy-non-responsive ICC tissues. The YBX1-high group exhibited significantly elevated stemness scores, and genes linked to YBX1 upregulation were enriched in multiple stemness-related pathways. Moreover, YBX1 expression is significantly correlated with several stemness-related genes (SOX9, OCT4, CD133, CD44 and EPCAM). Additionally, YBX1 overexpression significantly enhanced the colony- and spheroid-forming abilities of ICC cells, accelerated tumor growth in vivo and reduced their sensitivity to cisplatin. Conversely, the downregulation of YBX1 exerted the opposite effect. The transcriptomic analysis highlighted the link between YBX1 and the PI3K/AKT and WNT/ß-catenin pathways. Further, AZD5363 and KYA1979K were used to clarify that YBX1 promoted ICC stemness through the regulation of the AKT/ß-catenin axis. CONCLUSIONS: YBX1 is upregulated in ICC and promotes stemness and cisplatin insensitivity via the AKT/ß-catenin axis. Our study describes a novel potential therapeutic target for improving ICC prognosis.

Topographic metabolism-function relationships in Alzheimer's disease: A simultaneous PET/MRI study.

Disruptions of neural metabolism and function occur in parallel during Alzheimer's disease (AD). While many studies have shown diverse metabolic-functional relationships in specific brain regions, much less is known about how large-scale network-level functional activity is associated with the topology of metabolism in AD. In this study, we took the advantages of simultaneous PET/MRI and multivariate analyses to investigate the associations between AD-related stereotypical spatial patterns (topographies) of glucose metabolism, measured by fluorodeoxyglucose PET, and functional connectivity, measured by resting-state functional MRI. A total of 101 participants, including 37 patients with AD, 25 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 39 cognitively normal controls, underwent PET/MRI scans and cognitive assessments. Three pairs of distinct but optimally correlated metabolic and functional topographies were identified, encompassing large-scale networks including the default-mode, executive and control, salience, attention, and subcortical networks. Importantly, the metabolic-functional associations were not only limited to one-to-one-corresponding regions, but also occur in remote and non-overlapping regions. Furthermore, both glucose metabolism and functional connectivity, as well as their linkages, exhibited various degrees of disruptions in patients with MCI and AD, and were correlated with cognitive decline. In conclusion, our results support distributed and heterogeneous topographic associations between metabolism and function, which are jeopardized by AD. Findings of this study may deepen our understanding of the pathological mechanism of AD through the perspectives of both local energy efficiency and long-term interactions between synaptic disruption and functional disconnection contributing to the clinical symptomatology in AD.

Dulaglutide restores endothelial progenitor cell levels in diabetic mice and mitigates high glucose-induced endothelial injury through SIRT1-mediated mitochondrial fission.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) significantly impairs the functionality and number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and resident endothelial cells, critical for vascular repair and regeneration, exacerbating the risk of vascular complications. GLP-1 receptor agonists, like dulaglutide, have emerged as promising therapeutic agents due to their multifaceted effects, including the enhancement of EPC activity and protection of endothelial cells. This study investigates dulaglutide's effects on peripheral blood levels of CD34+ and CD133+ cells in a mouse model of lower limb ischemia and its protective mechanisms against high-glucose-induced damage in endothelial cells. Results demonstrated that dulaglutide significantly improves blood flow, reduces tissue damage and inflammation in ischemic limbs, and enhances glycemic control. Furthermore, dulaglutide alleviated high-glucose-induced endothelial cell damage, evident from improved tube formation, reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation, and restored endothelial junction integrity. Mechanistically, dulaglutide mitigated mitochondrial fission in endothelial cells under high-glucose conditions, partly through maintaining SIRT1 expression, which is crucial for mitochondrial dynamics. This study reveals the potential of dulaglutide as a therapeutic option for vascular complications in T2DM patients, highlighting its role in improving endothelial function and mitochondrial integrity.

Dissecting the Interplay Mechanism among Process Parameters toward the Biofabrication of High-Quality Shapes in Embedded Bioprinting.

Embedded bioprinting overcomes the barriers associated with the conventional extrusion-based bioprinting process as it enables the direct deposition of bioinks in 3D inside a support bath by providing in situ self-support for deposited bioinks during bioprinting to prevent their collapse and deformation. Embedded bioprinting improves the shape quality of bioprinted constructs made up of soft materials and low-viscosity bioinks, leading to a promising strategy for better anatomical mimicry of tissues or organs. Herein, the interplay mechanism among the printing process parameters toward improved shape quality is critically reviewed. The impact of material properties of the support bath and bioink, printing conditions, cross-linking mechanisms, and post-printing treatment methods, on the printing fidelity, stability, and resolution of the structures is meticulously dissected and thoroughly discussed. Further, the potential scope and applications of this technology in the fields of bioprinting and regenerative medicine are presented. Finally, outstanding challenges and opportunities of embedded bioprinting as well as its promise for fabricating functional solid organs in the future are discussed.

Unraveling the causality between gastroesophageal reflux disease and increased cancer risk: evidence from the UK Biobank and GWAS consortia.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition characterized by the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Despite its widespread prevalence worldwide, the causal link between GERD and various cancer risks has not been fully established, and past medical research has often underestimated or overlooked this relationship. METHODS: This study performed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal relationship between GERD and 19 different cancers. We leveraged data from 129,080 GERD patients and 473,524 controls, along with cancer-related data, obtained from the UK Biobank and various Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) consortia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with GERD were used as instrumental variables, utilizing methods such as inverse variance weighting, weighted median, and MR-Egger to address potential pleiotropy and confounding factors. RESULTS: GERD was significantly associated with higher risks of nine types of cancer. Even after adjusting for all known risk factors-including smoking, alcohol consumption, major depression, and body mass index (BMI)-these associations remained significant, with higher risks for most cancers. For example, the adjusted risk for overall lung cancer was (OR, 1.23; 95% CI: 1.14-1.33), for lung adenocarcinoma was (OR, 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03-1.36), for lung squamous cell carcinoma was (OR, 1.35; 95% CI: 1.19-1.53), and for oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer was (OR, 1.73; 95% CI: 1.22-2.44). Especially noteworthy, the risk for esophageal cancer increased to (OR, 2.57; 95% CI: 1.23-5.37). Mediation analyses further highlighted GERD as a significant mediator in the relationships between BMI, smoking, major depression, and cancer risks. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a significant causal relationship between GERD and increased cancer risk, highlighting its role in cancer development and underscoring the necessity of incorporating GERD management into cancer prevention strategies.

Targeting the Skin: The Study of a Bottlebrush Polymer-Antisense Oligonucleotide Conjugate in a Psoriasis Mouse Model.

The investigation of gene regulation therapeutics for the treatment of skin-related diseases is rarely explored in part due to inefficient systemic delivery. In this study, a bottlebrush polymer-antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) conjugate, termed pacDNA, designed to target IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA), which is involved in psoriasis pathogenesis is presented. Systemic administration of pacDNA led to its accumulation in epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis of mouse skin, reduced IL-17RA gene expression in skin, and significantly reversed the development of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis in a mouse model. These findings highlight the potential of the pacDNA as a promising nanoconstruct for systemic oligonucleotide delivery to the skin and for treating psoriasis and other skin-related disorders through systemic administration.

Prussian Blue-Assisted NIR Triggered In-Situ Polymerized Nanocomposite Hydrogel for Wound Repair.

Hydrogels are commonly used as wound dressings to help maintain a moist environment around the wound and isolate contaminants, thus promoting healing. For irregular wounds, the slow healing process and even infection may occur due to the inability of dressings to adhere well to the wound. Prussian blue (PB) is a metal-organic framework (MOF) material with excellent photothermal conversion and superior stability. In this paper, a kind of near-infrared (NIR) light triggered in-situ polymerized antimicrobial hydrogel was prepared. The free radical initiator was encapsulated in the hollow PB by a phase change material (PCM) to maintain stability. The raised temperature triggered by NIR induced the release and decomposition of the initiator. The matrix was formed by the cross-linking of double bonds on modified chitosan. The quaternary amine groups of modified chitosan and the photothermal properties of PB enhanced the antimicrobial properties of the hydrogel. High-quality wound healing was demonstrated in the whole skin defect model. This study provides a new reference for the preparation of in-situ polymerized hydrogel dressings for irregular wounds.

Exosomal miR-361-3p promotes the viability of breast cancer cells by targeting ETV7 and BATF2 to upregulate the PAI-1/ERK pathway.

BACKGROUND: Malignant progression is the major cause of poor prognosis in breast cancer (BC) patients. Plasma exosomal miRNAs have been reported to be involved in tumor progression, but their roles in BC remain unclear. METHODS: We performed plasma exosomal miRNA sequencing on 45 individuals, including healthy controls and nonmetastatic and metastatic BC patients. We examined the correlation between miRNA expression in tumor tissues and plasma exosomes in BC patients by qRT‒PCR. The effects of exosomal miR-361-3p on BC cells were determined by CellTiter-Glo, migration and wound healing assays. The target genes of miR-361-3p and downstream pathways were explored by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA knockdown, rescue experiments, and western blotting. We utilized murine xenograft model to further assess the impact of plasma exosomal miR-361-3p on the malignant progression of BC. RESULTS: We found that the expression level of plasma exosomal miR-361-3p gradually increased with malignant progression in BC patients, and the expression of miR-361-3p in plasma exosomes and BC tissues was positively correlated. Consistently, exosomal miR-361-3p enhanced the migration and proliferation of two BC cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3. Furthermore, our data showed that miR-361-3p inhibited two novel target genes, ETV7 and BATF2, to activate the PAI-1/ERK pathway, leading to increased BC cell viability. Finally, the consistency of the in vivo experimental results supported that elevated plasma exosomal miR-361-3p promote the malignant progression of BC. CONCLUSIONS: We found for the first time that plasma exosomal miR-361-3p was associated with malignant progression in BC patients. Mechanistically, exosomal miR-361-3p can enhance the migration and proliferation of BC cells by targeting the ETV7 and BATF2/PAI-1/ERK pathways. Our data suggest that plasma exosomal miR-361-3p has the potential to serve as a biomarker for predicting malignant progression in BC patients.

Accelerated 3D metabolite T1 mapping of the brain using variable-flip-angle SPICE.

PURPOSE: To develop a practical method to enable 3D T1 mapping of brain metabolites. THEORY AND METHODS: Due to the high dimensionality of the imaging problem underlying metabolite T1 mapping, measurement of metabolite T1 values has been currently limited to a single voxel or slice. This work achieved 3D metabolite T1 mapping by leveraging a recent ultrafast MRSI technique called SPICE (spectroscopic imaging by exploiting spatiospectral correlation). The Ernst-angle FID MRSI data acquisition used in SPICE was extended to variable flip angles, with variable-density sparse sampling for efficient encoding of metabolite T1 information. In data processing, a novel generalized series model was used to remove water and subcutaneous lipid signals; a low-rank tensor model with prelearned subspaces was used to reconstruct the variable-flip-angle metabolite signals jointly from the noisy data. RESULTS: The proposed method was evaluated using both phantom and healthy subject data. Phantom experimental results demonstrated that high-quality 3D metabolite T1 maps could be obtained and used for correction of T1 saturation effects. In vivo experimental results showed metabolite T1 maps with a large spatial coverage of 240 × 240 × 72 mm3 and good reproducibility coefficients (< 11%) in a 14.5-min scan. The metabolite T1 times obtained ranged from 0.99 to 1.44 s in gray matter and from 1.00 to 1.35 s in white matter. CONCLUSION: We successfully demonstrated the feasibility of 3D metabolite T1 mapping within a clinically acceptable scan time. The proposed method may prove useful for both T1 mapping of brain metabolites and correcting the T1-weighting effects in quantitative metabolic imaging.

Norepinephrine protects against cochlear outer hair cell damage and noise-induced hearing loss via α2A-adrenergic receptor.

BACKGROUND: The cochlear sympathetic system plays a key role in auditory function and susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a well-documented process in NIHL. In this study, we aimed at investigating the effects of a superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) on NIHL in Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: We explored the effects of unilateral and bilateral Superior Cervical Ganglion (SCG) ablation in the eight-ten weeks old Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes on NIHL. Auditory function was evaluated by auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing and Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Outer hair cells (OHCs) counts and the expression of α2A-adrenergic receptor (AR) in the rat cochlea using immunofluorescence analysis. Cells culture and treatment, CCK-8 assay, Flow cytometry staining and analysis, and western blotting were to explore the mechanisms of SCG fibers may have a protective role in NIHL. RESULTS: We found that neither bilateral nor unilateral SCGx protected the cochlea against noise exposure. In HEI-OC1 cells, H2O2-induced oxidative damage and cell death were inhibited by the application of norepinephrine (NE). NE may prevent ROS-induced oxidative stress in OHCs and NIHL through the α2A-AR. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that sympathetic innervation mildly affected cochlear susceptibility to acoustic trauma by reducing oxidative damage in OHCs through the α2A-AR. NE may be a potential therapeutic strategy for NIHL prevention.

Low-threshold single-mode nanowire array flat-band photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers with high-reflectivity bottom mirrors.

A Si-based nanowire array photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser based on a flat band is designed and simulated. By introducing an air gap between the nanowire and substrate, the bottom reflectivity is significantly enhanced, resulting in much lower threshold and smaller cutoff diameter. Through adjusting the lattice constant (the distance between neighboring nanowires) and nanowire diameter, a photonic crystal structure with a flat band is achieved, in which strong interaction between light and matter occurs in the flat band mode. For the device with a small size, single-mode lasing is obtained with a side-mode suppression ratio of 21 dB, high quality factor of 3940, low threshold gain of 624 cm-1, and small beam divergency angle of ∼7.5°. This work may pave the way for the development of high-performance Si-based surface-emitting nanolasers and high-density photonic integrated circuits.

Ultracompact polarization multiplexing meta-combiner for augmented reality display.

Augmented reality (AR) display, as a next-generation innovative technology, is revolutionizing the ways of perceiving and communicating by overlaying virtual images onto real-world scenes. However, the current AR devices are often bulky and cumbersome, posing challenges for long-term wearability. Metasurfaces have flexible capabilities of manipulating light waves at subwavelength scales, making them as ideal candidates for replacing traditional optical elements in AR display devices. In this work, we propose and fabricate what we believe is a novel reflective polarization multiplexing gradient metasurface based on propagation phase principle to replace the optical combiner element in traditional AR display devices. Our designed metasurface exhibits different polarization modulations for reflected and transmitted light, enabling efficient deflection of reflected light while minimizing the impact on transmitted light. This work reveals the significant potential of metasurfaces in next-generation optical display systems and provides a reliable theoretical foundation for future integrated waveguide schemes, driving the development of next-generation optical display products towards lightweight and comfortable.

Excessive accumulation of epicardial adipose tissue promotes microvascular obstruction formation after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion through modulating macrophages polarization.

BACKGROUND: Owing to its unique location and multifaceted metabolic functions, epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is gradually emerging as a new metabolic target for coronary artery disease risk stratification. Microvascular obstruction (MVO) has been recognized as an independent risk factor for unfavorable prognosis in acute myocardial infarction patients. However, the concrete role of EAT in the pathogenesis of MVO formation in individuals with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains unclear. The objective of the study is to evaluate the correlation between EAT accumulation and MVO formation measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in STEMI patients and clarify the underlying mechanisms involved in this relationship. METHODS: Firstly, we utilized CMR technique to explore the association of EAT distribution and quantity with MVO formation in patients with STEMI. Then we utilized a mouse model with EAT depletion to explore how EAT affected MVO formation under the circumstances of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We further investigated the immunomodulatory effect of EAT on macrophages through co-culture experiments. Finally, we searched for new therapeutic strategies targeting EAT to prevent MVO formation. RESULTS: The increase of left atrioventricular EAT mass index was independently associated with MVO formation. We also found that increased circulating levels of DPP4 and high DPP4 activity seemed to be associated with EAT increase. EAT accumulation acted as a pro-inflammatory mediator boosting the transition of macrophages towards inflammatory phenotype in myocardial I/R injury through secreting inflammatory EVs. Furthermore, our study declared the potential therapeutic effects of GLP-1 receptor agonist and GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor dual agonist for MVO prevention were at least partially ascribed to its impact on EAT modulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our work for the first time demonstrated that excessive accumulation of EAT promoted MVO formation by promoting the polarization state of cardiac macrophages towards an inflammatory phenotype. Furthermore, this study identified a very promising therapeutic strategy, GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor dual agonist, targeting EAT for MVO prevention following myocardial I/R injury.