Adjoint Algorithm Design of Selective Mode Reflecting Metastructure for BAL Applications.

Broad-area lasers (BALs) have found applications in a variety of crucial fields on account of their high output power and high energy transfer efficiency. However, they suffer from poor spatial beam quality due to multi-mode behavior along the waveguide transverse direction. In this paper, we propose a novel metasurface waveguide structure acting as a transverse mode selective back-reflector for BALs. In order to effectively inverse design such a structure, a digital adjoint algorithm is introduced to adapt the considerably large design area and the high degree of freedom. As a proof of the concept, a device structure with a design area of 40 × 20 µm2 is investigated. The simulation results exhibit high fundamental mode reflection (above 90%), while higher-order transverse mode reflections are suppressed below 0.2%. This is, to our knowledge, the largest device structure designed based on the inverse method. We exploited such a device and the method and further investigated the device's robustness and feasibility of the inverse method. The results are elaborately discussed.

A Design of High-Efficiency: Vertical Accumulation Modulators Based on Silicon Photonics.

On-chip optical modulators, which are capable of converting electrical signals into optical signals, constitute the foundational components of photonic devices. Photonics modulators exhibiting high modulation efficiency and low insertion loss are highly sought after in numerous critical applications, such as optical phase steering, optical coherent imaging, and optical computing. This paper introduces a novel accumulation-type vertical modulator structure based on a silicon photonics platform. By incorporating a high-K dielectric layer of ZrO2, we have observed an increase in modulation efficiency while maintaining relatively low levels of modulation loss. Through meticulous study and optimization, the simulation results of the final device structure demonstrate a modulation efficiency of 0.16 V·cm, with a mere efficiency-loss product of 8.24 dB·V.

A hydrochemical and isotopic approach for source identification and health risk assessment of groundwater arsenic pollution in the central Yinchuan basin.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater is becoming a major global issue as it can severely affect the safety of drinking water and human health. In this paper, 448 water samples were investigated to study the spatiotemporal distribution, source identification and human health risk of groundwater arsenic pollution in the central Yinchuan basin by applying a hydrochemical and isotopic approach. The results showed that arsenic concentrations in groundwater ranged from 0.7 µg/L to 26 µg/L with a mean of 2.19 µg/L, and 5.9% of samples were above 5 µg/L, indicating the arsenic pollution of groundwater in the study area. High arsenic groundwater was mainly distributed in the northern and eastern areas along the Yellow river. The main hydrochemistry type of high arsenic groundwater was HCO3·SO4-Na·Mg, and the dissolution of arsenic-bearing minerals in sediment, irrigation water infiltration and aquifer recharge from the Yellow river were the main sources of arsenic in groundwater. The arsenic enrichment was dominantly controlled by the TMn redox reaction and the competitive adsorption of HCO3-, and the influence of anthropogenic activities was limited. The health risk assessment suggested that the carcinogenic risk of As for children and adults greatly exceeded the acceptable risk threshold of 1E-6, displaying a high carcer risk, while the non-carcinogenic risks of As, F-, TFe, TMn and NO3- in 2019 were largely higher than the acceptable risk threshold (HQ > 1). The present study provides insight into the occurrence, hydrochemical processes and potential health risk of arsenic pollution in groundwater.

Inhibition of CDCP1 by 8-isopentenylnaringenin synergizes with EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer treatment.

CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) contributes to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance by regulating EGFR signaling pathways and is a potential target in lung cancer treatment. This study aims to identify a CDCP1 reducer that synergistically improves TKI treatment. Utilizing a high-throughput drug screening system, a phytoestrogen 8-isopentenylnaringenin (8PN) was identified. Upon 8PN treatment, CDCP1 protein levels and malignant features were reduced. 8PN exposure caused the accumulation of lung cancer cells in G0/G1 phase and increased the proportion of senescent cells. In EGFR TKI-resistant lung cancer cells, the combination of 8PN and TKI synergistically reduced cell malignance, inhibited downstream EGFR pathway signaling, and exerted additive effects on cell death. Moreover, combination therapy effectively reduced tumor growth and enhanced tumor necrosis in tumor xenograft mice models. Mechanistically, 8PN increased interleukin (IL)6 and IL8 expression, induced neutrophil infiltration, and enhanced neutrophil-mediated cytotoxicity to attenuate lung cancer cell growth. In conclusion, 8PN enhances the anticancer efficacy of EGFR TKI on lung cancer and triggers neutrophil-dependent necrosis, highlighting the potential to overcome TKI resistance in lung cancer patients who have EGFR mutation.