Lrp13a and Lrp13b serve as vitellogenin receptors in the ovary of zebrafish†.

In oviparous animals, egg yolk is largely derived from vitellogenin, which is taken up from the maternal circulation by the growing oocytes via the vitellogenin receptor. Recently, a novel member of the lipoprotein receptor superfamily termed low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 13 was identified and proposed as a candidate of vitellogenin receptor in oviparous animals. However, the roles of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 13 in vitellogenesis are still poorly defined. Here, we investigated the expression, vitellogenin-binding properties, and function of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 13 in zebrafish. Two different lrp13 genes termed lrp13a and lrp13b were found in zebrafish. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed both lrp13s to be predominantly expressed in zebrafish ovary, and in situ hybridization detected both lrp13s transcripts in the ooplasm of early stage oocytes. Two yeast hybrid studies showed that among eight vitellogenins of zebrafish, Vtg1, 2, and 3 bind to Lrp13a, while Vtg1, 2, and 5 bind to Lrp13b. We created zebrafish lrp13a and lrp13b mutant lines using CRISPR/Cas9. Knockout of lrp13a leads to a male-biased sex ratio and decreased diameter of embryo yolk, while knockout of lrp13b and double knockout of lrp13a and lrp13b leads to the delay of vitellogenesis, followed by follicular atresia. These phenotypes of mutants can be explained by the disruption of vitellogenesis in the absence of Lrp13s. Taken together, our results indicate that both Lrp13a and Lrp13b can serve as vitellogenin receptors in zebrafish among other vitellogenin receptors that are not yet described.

Low-threshold lasing from bound states in the continuum with dielectric metasurfaces.

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) with extremely large quality factors (Q factors) can enhance the light-matter interaction and thus achieve low-threshold lasing. Here, we theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate the low-threshold lasing at room temperature based on BICs. A threshold of approximately 306.7 W/cm2 (peak intensity) under a 7.5 ns-pulsed optical excitation is presented in an all-dielectric metasurface system consisting of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopillars with a dye film. Also, the multimode lasing can be excited by the higher pumping. Our results may find exciting applications in on-chip coherent light sources, filtering, and sensing.

Geometrical Theory of Electromagnetic Nonreciprocity.

Recent advances in electromagnetic nonreciprocity raise the question of how to engineer the nonreciprocal electromagnetic response with geometrical approaches. In this Letter, we examine this problem by introducing generalized electromagnetic continua consisting structured points, which carry extra degrees of freedom over coordinate transformation. We show that general nonreciprocal media have a unique time-varying Riemannian metric structure with local spinning components. It is demonstrated that the nonreciprocity can be alternatively identified as the torsion tensor of a Riemann-Cartan space, which could provide analytic expressions for the magneto-optical effect and the axionic magnetoelectric coupling. Our theory not only gives a deeper insight into the fundamental understanding of electromagnetic nonreciprocity but also provides a practical principle to geometrically design nonreciprocal devices through frame transformation.

PD-1 blockade combined with ICE regimen in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The prognosis of relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is poor. The efficacy of salvage therapy with ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) is limited. DLBCL can evade immune surveillance by upregulating programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade combined with ICE regimen (P-ICE) in the treatment of R/R DLBCL patients. In this study, we retrospectively explored efficacy and toxicity in R/R DLBCL patients treated with P-ICE. Prognostic biomarkers, including clinical features and molecular markers related to efficacy, were explored. From February 2019 to May 2020, a total of 67 patients treated with the P-ICE regimen were analyzed. The median follow-up time was 24.7 months (range: 1.4-39.6 months), with an objective response rate (ORR) of 62.7% and a complete response rate (CRR) of 43.3%. The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 41.1% (95% CI: 35.0-47.2%) and 65.6% (95% CI: 59.5-71.7%), respectively. Age, Ann Arbor stage, international prognostic index (IPI) score, and response to first-line chemotherapy were correlated with the ORR. Grade 3 and 4 adverse events (AEs) related to the P-ICE regimen were reported in 21.5% of patients. The most common AE was thrombocytopenia (9.0%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. In patients with R/R DLBCL, the P-ICE regimen has promising efficacy and mild toxicity.

Droplet microarray platforms for high-throughput drug screening.

High-throughput screening platforms are fundamental for the rapid and efficient processing of large amounts of experimental data. Parallelization and miniaturization of experiments are important for improving their cost-effectiveness. The development of miniaturized high-throughput screening platforms is essential in the fields of biotechnology, medicine, and pharmacology. Currently, most laboratories use 96- or 384-well microtiter plates for screening; however, they have disadvantages, such as high reagent and cell consumption, low throughput, and inability to avoid cross-contamination, which need to be further optimized. Droplet microarrays, as novel screening platforms, can effectively avoid these shortcomings. Here, the preparation method of the droplet microarray, method of adding compounds in parallel, and means to read the results are briefly described. Next, the latest research on droplet microarray platforms in biomedicine is presented, including their application in high-throughput culture, cell screening, high-throughput nucleic acid screening, drug development, and individualized medicine. Finally, the challenges and future trends in droplet microarray technology are summarized.

Mechanism of Salt Tolerance and Plant Growth Promotion in Priestia megaterium ZS-3 Revealed by Cellular Metabolism and Whole-Genome Studies.

Approximately one-third of agricultural land worldwide is affected by salinity, which limits the productivity and sustainability of crop ecosystems. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a potential solution to this problem, as PGPR increases crop yield through improving soil fertility and stress resistance. Previous studies have shown that Priestia megaterium ZS-3(ZS-3) can effectively help plants tolerate salinity stress. However, how ZS-3 regulates its metabolic adaptations in saline environments remains unclear. In this study, we monitored the metabolic rearrangement of compatibilisers in ZS-3 and combined the findings with genomic data to reveal how ZS-3 survives in stressful environments, induces plant growth, and tolerates stress. The results showed that ZS-3 tolerated salinity levels up to 9%. In addition, glutamate and trehalose help ZS-3 adapt to osmotic stress under low NaCl stress, whereas proline, K+, and extracellular polysaccharides regulate the osmotic responses of ZS-3 exposed to high salt stress. Potting experiments showed that applying the ZS-3 strain in saline and neutral soils could effectively increase the activities of soil acid phosphatase, urease, and invertase in both soils, thus improving soil fertility and promoting plant growth. In addition, strain ZS-3-GFP colonised the rhizosphere and leaves of Cinnamomum camphora well, as confirmed by confocal microscopy and resistance plate count analysis. Genomic studies and in vitro experiments have shown that ZS-3 exhibits a variety of beneficial traits, including plant-promoting, antagonistic, and other related traits (such as resistance to saline and heavy metal stress/tolerance, amino acid synthesis and transport, volatile compound synthesis, micronutrient utilisation, and phytohormone biosynthesis/regulatory potential). The results support that ZS-3 can induce plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. These data provide important clues to further reveal the interactions between plants and microbiomes, as well as the mechanisms by which micro-organisms control plant health.

Mechanism for the genomic and functional evolution of the MIR2118 family in the grass lineage.

The MIR2118 family has undergone tremendous expansion in the grass lineage, in which the miRNA targets numerous noncoding PHAS loci to produce 21-nt phased small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs) involved in male fertility. However, the evolutionary trajectory of the grass MIR2118 genes and the functions of phasiRNAs have not yet been fully elucidated. We conducted comparative genomic, molecular evolution, expression and parallel analysis of RNA ends (PARE) analyses of MIR2118 and the miR2118-mediated regulatory pathway in grasses, focusing on Oryza sativa. In total, 617 MIR2118 and eight MIR1859 novel members were identified. Phylogenetic analyses showed that grass MIR2118 genes form a distinct clade from the MIR482/2118 genes of nongrass species. We reconstructed hypothetical evolutionary histories of the grass MIR2118 clusters and its MIR1859 variants, and examined the polycistronic composition and the differential expression of the osa-MIR2118 clusters. PARE data showed that osa-miR2118 might also direct the cleavage of some protein-coding gene transcripts. Importantly, we found that PARE analysis is inherently prone to false-positive target predictions when a large number of small RNAs, such as phasiRNAs, are analysed. Our results revealed the evolution and diversification of the MIR2118 family, and provide new insights into the functions of phasiRNAs in the grasses.

Lasing action in a strongly coupled silicon nanowire pair.

High-index dielectric nanostructures are of particular interest for nanoscale lasing due to their low absorption losses. However, the relatively weak near-field restricts the isolated dielectric cavities as low-threshold integrated on-chip laser sources. Here, we demonstrate lasing action in a silicon nanowire pair with 32 nm gap coated with dye-doped shell on the silicon-on-insulator platform. It is found that the quality factor Q is dominated by the coupling of the silicon nanowire pair, which depends on the gap size, the nanowire width, and the dye thickness. A lasing peak at the wavelength of 529 nm with FWHM of 0.6 nm is experimentally realized by the Si nanowire pair width, and the corresponding pumping power threshold is ∼34 µW/cm2. The proposed strategy, based on the well-established Si planar process, lays the groundwork for practical integrated nanolasers that have potential applications in photonic circuits.

Outcome Analysis of Severe Hyperbilirubinemia in Neonates Undergoing Exchange Transfusion.

OBJECTIVE: Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia can cause neurological disability or mortality if not effectively managed. Exchange transfusion (ET) is an efficient treatment to prevent bilirubin neurotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes in severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia with ET and to identify the potential risk factors for poor outcomes. METHODS: Newborns of ≥28 weeks of gestational age with severe hyperbilirubinemia who underwent ET from January 2015 to August 2019 were included. Demographic data were recorded and analyzed according to follow-up outcomes at 12 months of corrected age. Poor outcomes were defined as death due to bilirubin encephalopathy or survival with at least one of the following complications: cerebral palsy, psychomotor retardation (psychomotor developmental index < 70), mental retardation (mental developmental index < 70), or hearing impairment. RESULTS: A total of 524 infants were eligible for recruitment to the study, and 62 infants were lost to follow-up. The outcome data from 462 infants were used for grouping analysis, of which 398 cases (86.1%) had normal outcomes and 64 cases (13.9%) suffered poor outcomes. Bivariate logistic regression analysis showed that peak total serum bilirubin (TSB) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.011, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.008-1.015, p = 0.000) and sepsis (OR = 4.352, 95% CI = 2.013-9.409, p < 0.001) were associated with poor outcomes of hyperbilirubinemia. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed that peak TSB ≥452.9 µmol/L could predict poor outcomes of severe hyperbilirubinemia. CONCLUSION: Peak TSB and sepsis were associated with poor outcomes in infants with severe hyperbilirubinemia, and peak TSB ≥452.9 µmol/L could predict poor outcomes.

Effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive perampanel in the treatment of pediatric patients with uncontrolled epilepsy: A retrospective, single-center, real-world study.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of adjunctive perampanel (PER) in the treatment of children and adolescents with epilepsy. METHODS: Pediatric patients who visited the pediatric epilepsy clinic of Henan Provincial People's Hospital between May 2020 and December 2021 were recruited. All participants were treated with PER as adjunctive therapy and were seen routinely (minimum: a baseline and 12-week visit). The efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive PER for the treatment of epilepsy were investigated. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen patients were enrolled, among whom 7 (6.1%) were lost to follow-up. At 12 weeks, the responder rate and the seizure-free rate were 56.1% (60/107) and 32.7% (35/107), respectively. The responder rate increased with the duration of PER administration and was significantly higher when PER was used as an early add-on (after ≤2 prior antiseizure medications (ASMs)) than a late add-on (after >2 prior ASMs). However, there was no significant difference in the treatment efficacy of adjunctive PER in patients with different epilepsy etiologies or types. Adverse events, including irritability, dizziness, somnolence, ataxic gait, weight gain, and tinnitus, were reported in thirty-two patients (29.9%). CONCLUSIONS: In a routine clinical setting of pediatric patients with epilepsy, good effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive PER were demonstrated. Notably, patients initiating PER as an early add-on showed a better seizure outcome than those initiating PER as a late add-on.

The phonon scattering mechanism and its effect on the temperature dependent thermal and thermoelectric properties of a silver nanowire.

In this work, the electron-phonon, phonon-phonon, and phonon structure scattering mechanisms and their effect on the thermal and thermoelectric properties of a silver nanowire (AgNW) is investigated in the temperature range of 10 to 300 K. The electron-phonon scattering rate decreases with the increase of temperature. The phonon-phonon scattering rate increases with temperature and becomes greater than the electron-phonon scattering rate when the temperature is higher than the Debye temperature (223 K). The rate of phonon structure scattering is constant. The total phonon scattering rate decreases with temperature when the temperature is lower than about 150 K, and increases when the temperature is higher than 150 K. Correspondingly, the temperature dependent variation trend of the lattice thermal conductivity is opposite diametrically to that of the total phonon scattering rate. The thermoelectric properties of the AgNW are strongly coupled with the thermal conductivity via the phonon and electron transition. The thermoelectric properties of the material are quantified by the figure of merit (ZT). The ZT value of the AgNW is greater than that of bulk silver in the corresponding temperature range, and this difference increases with temperature. The order of the ZT of the AgNW is about 13 times greater than that of bulk silver at room temperature. The large increase of the ZT value of the AgNW is mainly due to the enhanced electron scattering and phonon scattering mechanisms in the AgNW.

Effects of Two Bacillus Velezensis Microbial Inoculants on the Growth and Rhizosphere Soil Environment of Prunus davidiana.

Microbial inoculants, as harmless, efficient, and environmentally friendly plant growth promoters and soil conditioners, are attracting increasing attention. In this study, the effects of Bacillus velezensis YH-18 and B. velezensis YH-20 on Prunus davidiana growth and rhizosphere soil bacterial community in continuously cropped soil were investigated by inoculation tests. The results showed that in a pot seedling experiment, inoculation with YH-18 and YH-20 resulted in a certain degree of increase in diameter growth, plant height, and leaf area at different time periods of 180 days compared with the control. Moreover, after 30 and 90 days of inoculation, the available nutrients in the soil were effectively improved, which protected the continuously cropped soil from acidification. In addition, high-throughput sequencing showed that inoculation with microbial inoculants effectively slowed the decrease in soil microbial richness and diversity over a one-month period. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were significantly enriched on the 30th day. At the genus level, Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas were significantly enriched at 15 and 30 days, respectively. These bacterial phyla and genera can effectively improve the soil nutrient utilization rate, antagonize plant pathogenic bacteria, and benefit the growth of plants. Furthermore, inoculation with YH-18 and inoculation with YH-20 resulted in similar changes in the rhizosphere microbiome. This study provides a basis for the short-term effect of microbial inoculants on the P. davidiana rhizosphere microbiome and has application value for promoting the cultivation and production of high-quality fruit trees.

Glucose metabolism is required for oocyte maturation of zebrafish.

Glucose is an essential source of energy production for animal cells. The importance of glucose metabolism in oocyte maturation has been studied extensively in mammals. However, such roles in non-mammalian species are still largely unknown. Here, we used zebrafish as a model, which is phylogenetically distant from mammals, and analyzed the role of glucose metabolism in oocyte maturation. Major glucose transporters (GLUT/Slc2A) were analyzed in zebrafish, two Slc2a1 (Slc2a1a and Slc2a1b), one Slc2a2, and two Slc2a3 (Slc2a3a and Slc2a3b) were identified. Among these five Slc2a genes, slc2a1b exhibited the highest expression level in fully grown follicles. The expression of slc2a1b gradually increased during folliculogenesis, and also significantly increases during the oocyte maturation process. Consistently, the glucose concentration increases during natural oocyte maturation. By using a fluorescent glucose derivative (6-NBDG) to trace glucose transport, the uptake of glucose by ovarian follicles in a time-dependent manner could be observed. Intriguingly, by treatment of glucose in vitro, oocyte maturation could be induced in a time-, dose- and stage-dependent manner. Glucose can be metabolized by glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), and the polyol pathway. Using the inhibitors for these pathways, we found only PPP but not glycolysis, HBP or polyol pathway is essential for oocyte maturation. All these results clearly demonstrate for the first time that the glucose metabolism is required for oocyte maturation of zebrafish, suggesting the highly conserved role of glucose metabolism in control of oocyte maturation between fish and mammals.

Hsa_circ_0001806 promotes glycolysis and cell progression in hepatocellular carcinoma through miR-125b/HK2.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumours and a leading cause of cancer death. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been demonstrated to play an important role in regulating tumour development. The current study aims to explore the specific role of hsa_circ_0001806 during HCC progression. METHODS: The expression of hsa_circ_0001806 in HCC tissues and cells was measured through qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration were measured using CCK-8 and Annexin V/PI staining kits, and Transwell assay. Bioinformatics prediction and dual-luciferase reporter assay were adopted to explore the mechanism underlying the cell function of hsa_circ_0001806 in HCC cells. In addition, glycolysis was assessed by measuring the glucose uptake, lactate production and ATP level using a glucose assay kit, fluorometric lactate assay kit and ATP detection assay kit. RESULTS: Hsa_circ_0001806 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cells and positively associated with the advanced TNM stage, metastasis and poor overall survival. The overexpression of hsa_circ_0001806 promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration and glycolysis and inhibited cell apoptosis, while the silence of hsa_circ_0001806 showed an opposite effect. Furthermore, hsa_circ_0001806 acted as a sponge of miR-125b to up-regulate hexokinase II (HK2) expression. In addition, the inhibition of miR-125b and HK2 overexpression partly reversed the inhibitory effect of hsa_circ_0001806 silencing on HCC cell proliferation, migration and glycolysis. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of hsa_circ_0001806 suppressed HCC cell proliferation, migration and glycolysis through mediating miR-125b/HK2 axis.

On Improving 5G Internet of Radio Light Security Based on LED Fingerprint Identification Method.

In this paper, a novel device identification method is proposed to improve the security of Visible Light Communication (VLC) in 5G networks. This method extracts the fingerprints of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to identify the devices accessing the 5G network. The extraction and identification mechanisms have been investigated from the theoretical perspective as well as verified experimentally. Moreover, a demonstration in a practical indoor VLC-based 5G network has been carried out to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of this approach. The fingerprints of four identical white LEDs were extracted successfully from the received 5G NR (New Radio) signals. To perform identification, four types of machine-learning-based classifiers were employed and the resulting accuracy was up to 97.1%.

Proposed a self-absorption internal standard model to detect element concentrations of complex constituent material with a single emission line of element in laser plasmas.

Laser induced plasmas (LIPs) method is a highly regarded approach to evaluate the chemical composition of materials. But the strong self-absorption of the radiation seriously affects its accuracy. Meanwhile, the model based on self-absorption phenomenon makes its application very difficult. In this work, a self-absorption internal standard (SAIS) model is proposed for detection of the multi-element concentrations of complex constituent material with a single emission line of the element in laser plasmas. A typical LIPs experiment system is set up to generate plasmas, and the soil is selected as a test sample. The average electron temperature (0.975 eV) and electron density (1.44×1018 cm-3) are determined by the Boltzmann plot and emission lines Stark broadening, respectively. The plasmas are diagnosed as in local thermodynamic equilibrium condition. The emission lines selected to calculate the concentration of sample contain a wide set of kt values (0.575×10-30∼37.2×10-30 m3). Then, the concentrations of some elements are calculated by the model using single emission line of each element. It is found that the concentrations of the five elements (Ti, Fe, Mg, Al, Si) calculated by SAIS model are relatively consistent with the results of the traditional chemical testing methods. This indicated that the SAIS model is an effective and neat method for multi-element concentrations detection of complex constituent materials.

Metric-Torsion Duality of Optically Chiral Structures.

We develop a metric-torsion theory for chiral structures by using a generalized framework of transformation optics. We show that the chirality is uniquely determined by a metric with the local rotational degree of freedom. In analogy to the dislocation continuum, the chirality can be alternatively interpreted as the torsion tensor of a Riemann-Cartan space, which is mimicked by the anholonomy of the orthonormal basis. As a demonstration, we reveal the equivalence of typical three-dimensional chiral metamaterials in the continuum limit. Our theory provides an analytical recipe to design optical chirality.

Sinonasal desmoplastic small round cell tumor: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis that generally involves the peritoneum. Its diagnosis can be achieved only by immunohistochemistry and cytogenetic studies. CASE PRESENTATION: In the current report, a 55-year-old female was admitted in our hospital for evaluation of right eye epiphora and right nasal intermittent bleeding. Imaging examination revealed a large soft tissue mass in the right nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus. After an explorative surgery, the pathological findings confirmed the presentation of sinonasal DSRCT. Immunohistochemistry and cytogenetic studies confirmed the diagnosis of DSRCT in this patient. Surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy was performed, and she died 2 months after operation. CONCLUSION: This reported case draws attention to the importance of novel treatments and including DSRCT in the differential diagnosis of sinonasal tumors.

Angiotensin II-induced micro RNA-21 culprit for non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is among the most complicated cancers, with an estimated 1.6 million deaths each year for both men and women. However, the proportion of lung cancer patients in developing nations has increased from 31% to 49.9% in the last two decades. There are two main subtypes of lung cancer, small-cell lung carcinoma and non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), accounting for 15% and 85% of all lung cancer, respectively. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in smokers and nonsmokers in men and women regardless of their age. Chemicals in cigarette smoke and nicotine enter our bloodstream and can then affect the entire body and finally lead to the activation of several important, pro-survival signaling pathways. The biologically active peptide of RAAS on overstimulation enhance Ang II mediates cell proliferation, fibrosis and inflammatory effects via AT1 receptor. Very few studies highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of miRNAs with the EGFR-regulated miRNA-21.

Two-dimensional gratings of hexagonal holes for high order diffraction suppression.

We propose two-dimensional gratings comprised of a large number of identical and similarly oriented hexagonal holes for the high order diffraction suppression. An analytical study of the diffraction property for such gratings, based on both square and triangle arrays, is described. The dependence of the high order diffraction property on the hole shape and size is investigated. Notably, theoretical calculation reveals that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th order diffractions adjacent to the 1st order diffraction can be completely suppressed, and the 5th order diffraction efficiency is as low as 0.01%, which will be submerged in the background noise for most practical applications. The 1st order diffraction intensity efficiency 6.93% can be achieved as the hexagonal holes along y-axis connect with each other. For the case of b=Py/3, the 1st order diffraction intensity efficiency is 3.08%. The experimental results are also presented, confirming the theoretical predictions. Especially, our two-dimensional gratings have the ability to form free-standing structures which are highly desired for the x-ray region. Comparing with the grating of the square array, the grating of the triangle array is easy to be fabricated by silicon planar process due to the large spacing between any two adjacent holes. Our results should be of great interest in a wide spectrum unscrambling from the infrared to the x-ray region.