Electrically tunable topological phase transition in non-Hermitian optical MEMS metasurfaces.

Exceptional points (EPs), unique junctures in non-Hermitian open systems where eigenvalues and eigenstates simultaneously coalesce, have gained notable attention in photonics because of their enthralling physical principles and unique properties. Nonetheless, the experimental observation of EPs, particularly within the optical domain, has proven rather challenging because of the grueling demand for precise and comprehensive control over the parameter space, further compounded by the necessity for dynamic tunability. Here, we demonstrate the occurrence of optical EPs when operating with an electrically tunable non-Hermitian metasurface platform that synergizes chiral metasurfaces with piezoelectric MEMS mirrors. Moreover, we show that, with a carefully constructed metasurface, a voltage-controlled spectral space can be finely tuned to access not only the chiral EP but also the diabolic point characterized by degenerate eigenvalues and orthogonal eigenstates, thereby allowing for dynamic topological phase transition. Our work paves the way for developing cutting-edge optical devices rooted in EP physics and opening uncharted vistas in dynamic topological photonics.

The Teleost CXCL13-CXCR5 Axis Induces Inflammatory Cytokine Expression through the Akt-NF-κB, p38-AP-1, and p38-NF-κB Pathways.

The ancestors of chemokines originate in the most primitive of vertebrates, which has recently attracted great interest in the immune functions and the underlying mechanisms of fish chemokines. In the current study, we identified an evolutionarily conserved chemokine, CiCXCL13, from a teleost fish, grass carp. CiCXCL13 was characterized by a typical SCY (small cytokine CXC) domain and four cysteine residues (C34, C36, C61, C77), with the first two cysteines separated by a random amino acid residue, although it shared 24.2-54.8% identity with the counterparts from other vertebrates. CiCXCL13 was an inducible chemokine, whose expression was significantly upregulated in the immune tissues of grass carps after grass carp reovirus infection. CiCXCL13 could bind to the membrane of grass carp head kidney leukocytes and promote cell migration, NO release, and the expression of >15 inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-10 and TGF-ß1, thus regulating the inflammatory response. Mechanistically, CiCXCL13 interacted with its evolutionarily conserved receptor CiCXCR5 and activated the Akt-NF-κB and p38-AP-1 pathways, as well as a previously unrevealed p38-NF-κB pathway, to efficiently induce inflammatory cytokine expression, which was distinct from that reported in mammals. Zebrafish CXCL13 induced inflammatory cytokine expression through Akt, p38, NF-κB, and AP-1 as CiCXCL13. Meanwhile, the CiCXCL13-CiCXCR5 axis-mediated inflammatory activity was negatively shaped by grass carp atypical chemokine receptor 2 (CiACKR2). The present study is, to our knowledge, the first to comprehensively define the immune function of CXCL13 in inflammatory regulation and the underlying mechanism in teleosts, and it provides a valuable perspective on the evolution and biology of fish chemokines.

First in vitro and in vivo evaluation of recombinant IL-1ß protein as a potential immunomodulator against viral infection in fish.

IL-1ß is an important proinflammatory cytokine with multifaceted modulatory roles in immune responses. In fish, recombinant IL-1ß has been employed in the control of bacterial diseases, while the antiviral mechanisms of IL-1ß remain largely unknown, and the efficacy of recombinant IL-1ß as an immunomodulator to prevent viral diseases is still not determined. This study evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of recombinant grass carp IL-1ß against grass carp reovirus (GCRV) in vitro and in vivo. Firstly, the mature form (Ser111-Lys270) of grass carp IL-1ß was identified, and its recombinant protein (designated as rgcIL-1ß) was prepared through prokaryotic expression. Then, an in vitro evaluation model for rgcIL-1ß activity was established in the CIK cells, with the appropriate concentration (600 ng/mL) and effect time (1 h). In vitro, rgcIL-1ß could not only induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α but also a series of antiviral factors including IFN-1, IFN-2, IFN-γ, and ISG15. Mechanistically, transcriptome analysis and western blotting confirmed that rgcIL-1ß activated multiple transcriptional factors, including NF-κB, IRF1, IRF3, and IRF8, and the signal pathways associated with inflammatory cytokines and antiviral factors expression. Expectedly, rgcIL-1ß treatment significantly inhibited GCRV replication in vitro. In vivo administration of rgcIL-1ß via intraperitoneal pre-injection significantly aroused an antiviral response to restrict GCRV replication and intense tissue inflammation in grass carp, demonstrating the immunomodulatory effects of rgcIL-1ß. More importantly, rgcIL-1ß administrated with 10 ng/g and 1 ng/g could improve the survival rate of grass carp during GCRV infection. This study represents the first time to comprehensively reveal the immunomodulatory and antiviral mechanisms of IL-1ß in fish and may also pave the way for further developing recombinant IL-1ß as an immunotherapy for the prevention and control of fish viral diseases.

JunD functions as a transcription factor of IL-10 to regulate bacterial infectious inflammation in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

IL-10 is a key anti-inflammatory mediator ensuring the protection of a host from excessive inflammation in response to pathogen infections, whose transcription or expression levels are tightly linked to the onset and progression of infectious diseases. An AP-1 family member called CiJunD was shown to be a transcription factor of IL-10 in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the current study. CiJunD protein harbored the conserved Jun and bZIP domains. Mutant experiments demonstrated that CiJunD bound to three specific sites on IL-10 promoter, i.e., 5'-ATTATTCATA-3', 5'-AGATGAGACATCT-3', and 5'-ATTATTCATC-3', mainly relying on the bZIP domain, and initiated IL-10 transcription. Expression data from the grass carp spleen infected by Aeromonas hydrophila and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged spleen leukocytes indicated that the expressions of CiJunD and IL-10 were positively correlated, while the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, showed an overall downward trend when CiJunD and IL-10 peaked. The ability of CiJunD to down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulate the expression of IL-10, both with and without LPS stimulation, was confirmed by overexpression experiments. Meanwhile, the subcellular fractionation assay revealed that the nuclear translocation of CiJunD was significantly enhanced after the LPS challenge. Moreover, in vivo administration of grass carp with Oxamflatin, a potent agonist of JunD activity, could promote IL-10 but suppress the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Intriguingly, tissue inflammation lesions and the survival rates of grass carp infected with A. hydrophila were also significantly improved by Oxamflatin administration. This work sheds light on the regulation mechanism by JunD of IL-10 expression and bacterial infectious inflammation for the first time, and it may present a viable method for preventing infectious diseases in fish by regulating IL-10 expression and inflammatory response.

A Review of Nanofluids as Coolants for Thermal Management Systems in Fuel Cell Vehicles.

With the development of high-power fuel cell vehicles, heat dissipation requirements have become increasingly stringent. Although conventional cooling techniques improve the heat dissipation capacity by increasing the fan rotating speed or radiator dimensions, high energy consumption and limited engine compartment space prevent their implementation. Moreover, the insufficient heat transfer capacity of existing coolants limits the enhancement of heat dissipation performance. Therefore, exploring novel coolants to replace traditional coolants is important. Nanofluids composed of nanoparticles and base liquids are promising alternatives, effectively improving the heat transfer capacity of the base liquid. However, challenges remain that prevent their use in fuel cell vehicles. These include issues regarding the nanofluid stability and cleaning, erosion and abrasion, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity. In this review, we summarize the nanofluid applications in oil-fueled, electric, and fuel cell vehicles. Subsequently, we provide a comprehensive literature review of the challenges and future research directions of nanofluids as coolants in fuel cell vehicles. This review demonstrates the potential of nanofluids as an alternative thermal management system that can facilitate transition toward a low-carbon, energy-secure economy. It will serve as a reference for researchers to focus on new areas that could drive the field forward.

Functional and expression analysis reveals the involvement of integrin αvß3 in antiviral immunity of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Integrins are α-ß heterodimeric cell receptors that can bind the protein components of pathogens, and play crucial roles in mammalian immune responses, but the immune functions mediated by integrins remains largely unknown in teleost fish. In this study, an integrin αvß3 (GCαvß3) originally assembled by αv (GCαv) and ß3 (GCß3) subunits, was identified from a teleost fish grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. The pairwise alignment analyses showed that the amino acid sequences of GCαv and GCß3 shared high similarity (75.2-95.1%) and identity (58.6-90.7%) with their homologs from other vertebrates. Both GCαv and GCß3 harbored the conserved protein domains and motifs, and were clustered in fish branch of the phylogenetic tree containing the counterparts from various vertebrates. Co-immunoprecipitation displayed that GCß3 could interact with the grass carp reovirus (GCRV) outer capsid protein VP5. Two incubation experiments revealed that the interaction of GCRV or VP5 proteins with GCß3 could induce the expressions of type I interferons (IFNs) including IFN2 and IFN3 in grass carp ovary cell line. The functional analysis demonstrated that GCαvß3 served as a receptor of viral protein components to be involved in antiviral immunity as human integrin αvß3 did. In addition, both GCαv and GCß3 were significantly upregulated in various tissues of grass carp after GCRV infection. This study might provide fundamental basis for understanding the molecular characteristics and immune functions of GCαvß3, and offer a new insight into the antiviral immune mechanism specific to the integrins in grass carp.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Potential Antiviral Tripartite Motif Proteins (TRIMs) in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Tripartite motif proteins (TRIMs), especially B30.2 domain-containing TRIMs (TRIMs-B30.2), are increasingly well known for their antiviral immune functions in mammals, while antiviral TRIMs are far from being identified in teleosts. In the present study, we identified a total of 42 CiTRIMs from the genome of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, an important cultured teleost in China, based on hmmsearch and SMART analysis. Among these CiTRIMs, the gene loci of 37 CiTRIMs were located on different chromosomes and shared gene collinearities with homologous counterparts from human and zebrafish genomes. They possessed intact conserved RBCC or RB domain assemblies at their N-termini and eight different domains, including the B30.2 domain, at their C-termini. A total of 19 TRIMs-B30.2 were identified, and most of them were clustered into a large branch of CiTRIMs in the dendrogram. Tissue expression analysis showed that 42 CiTRIMs were universally expressed in various grass carp tissues. A total of 11 significantly differentially expressed CiTRIMs were found in two sets of grass carp transcriptomes during grass carp reovirus (GCRV) infection. Three of them, including Cibtr40, CiTRIM103 and CiTRIM109, which all belonged to TRIMs-B30.2, were associated with the type I interferon response during GCRV infection by weighted network co-expression and gene expression trend analyses, suggesting their involvement in antiviral immunity. These findings may offer useful information for understanding the structure, evolution, and function of TRIMs in teleosts and provide potential antiviral immune molecule markers for grass carp.

Functional Metasurface Quarter-Wave Plates for Simultaneous Polarization Conversion and Beam Steering.

The capability to manipulate the polarization state of light at the nanoscale is of paramount importance in many emerging research areas ranging from optical communication to quantum information processing. Gap-surface plasmon (GSP) metasurfaces, which provide advantages and abilities of molding reflected fields, have been demonstrated excellently suited for integration of multifunctional polarization optics into a single device. Here, we establish a versatile GSP metasurface platform based on nanoscale quarter-wave plates (nano-QWPs) that enable efficient circular-to-linear polarization conversion along with the complete phase control over reflected fields. Capitalizing on the nano-QWP design, we demonstrate, both theoretically and experimentally, how resonance and geometric phases can be used in concert to achieve independent and simultaneous phase modulation of both co- and cross-polarized circularly polarized (CP) waves by realizing arbitrary beam steering of co- and cross-polarized CP channels in a broadband near-infrared range. The GSP metasurface platform established in our work provides versatile and flexible solutions to enrich multiple functionalities for diversified metasurface-based polarization optics exploited in modern integrated photonic devices and systems.