Experimental observation of non-Abelian topological charges and edge states.

In the last few decades, topological phase1-11 has emerged as a new classification of matter states beyond the Ginzburg-Landau symmetry-breaking paradigm. The underlying global invariant is usually well characterized by integers, such as Chern numbers or winding numbers-the Abelian charges12-15. Very recently, researchers proposed the notion of non-Abelian topological charges16-19, which possess non-commutative and fruitful braiding structures with multiple (more than one) bandgaps tangled together. Here we experimentally observe the non-Abelian topological charges in a time-reversal and inversion-symmetric transmission line network. The quaternion-valued non-Abelian topological charges are clearly mapped onto an eigenstate-frame sphere. Moreover, we find a non-Abelian quotient relation that provides a global perspective on the distribution of edge/domain-wall states. Our work opens the door towards characterization and manipulation of non-Abelian topological charges, which may lead to interesting observables such as trajectory-dependent Dirac/Weyl node collisions in two-dimensional systems16,17,20, admissible nodal line configurations in three dimensions16,19,20, and may provide insight into certain strongly correlated phases of twisted bilayer graphene21.

Scalar topological photonic nested meta-crystals and skyrmion surface states in the light cone continuum.

Topological photonics is rapidly expanding. However, discovering three-dimensional topological electromagnetic systems can be more challenging than electronic systems for two reasons. First, the vectorial nature of electromagnetic waves results in complicated band dispersions, and simple tight-binding-type predictions usually fail. Second, topological electromagnetic surface modes inside the light cone have very low quality factors (Q factors). Here, we propose the concept of scalar topological photonics to address these challenges. Our approach is experimentally validated by employing a nested meta-crystal configuration using connected coaxial waveguides. They exhibit scalar-wave-like band dispersions, making the search for photonic topological phases an easier task. Their surface states have skyrmion-like electric field distributions, resulting in a whole, bright surface state band inside the light cone continuum. As such, the topological surface states in our three-dimensional nested crystals can be exposed to air, making such systems well-suited for practical applications.

Topological Photonic Alloy.

We present the new concept of photonic alloy as a nonperiodic topological material. By mixing nonmagnetized and magnetized rods in a nonperiodic 2D photonic crystal configuration, we realized photonic alloys in the microwave regime. Our experimental findings reveal that the photonic alloy sustains nonreciprocal chiral edge states even at very low concentration of magnetized rods. The nontrivial topology and the associated edge states of these nonperiodic systems can be characterized by the winding of the reflection phase. Our results indicate that the threshold concentrations for the investigated system within the first nontrivial band gap to exhibit topological behavior approach zero in the thermodynamic limit for substitutional alloys, while the threshold remains nonzero for interstitial alloys. At low concentration, the system exhibits an inhomogeneous structure characterized by isolated patches of nonpercolating magnetic domains that are spaced far apart within a topologically trivial photonic crystal. Surprisingly, the system manifests chiral edge states despite a local breakdown of time-reversal symmetry rather than a global one. Photonic alloys represent a new category of disordered topological materials, offering exciting opportunities for exploring topological materials with adjustable gaps.

Photonic Z_{2} Topological Anderson Insulators.

That disorder can induce nontrivial topology is a surprising discovery in topological physics. As a typical example, Chern topological Anderson insulators (TAIs) have been realized in photonic systems, where the topological phases exist without symmetry protection. In this Letter, by taking transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarizations as pseudospin degrees of freedom, we theoretically propose a scheme to realize disorder-induced symmetry-protected topological phase transitions in two-dimensional photonic crystals with a combined time-reversal, mirror, and duality symmetry T_{f}=TM_{z}D. In particular, we demonstrate that the disorder-induced symmetry-protected topological phase persists even without pseudospin conservation, thereby realizing a photonic Z_{2} TAI, in contrast to a Z-classified quantum spin Hall (QSH) TAI with decoupled spins. By formulating a new scattering approach, we show that the topology of both the QSH and Z_{2} TAIs can be manifested by the accumulated spin rotations of the reflected waves from the photonic crystals. Using a transmission structure, we also illustrate the trivialization of a disordered QSH phase with an even integer topological index caused by spin coupling.

Topological One-Way Large-Area Waveguide States in Magnetic Photonic Crystals.

We have theoretically and experimentally achieved large-area one-way transport by using heterostructures consisting of a domain of an ordinary photonic crystal sandwiched between two domains of magnetic photonic crystals. The nonmagnetized domain carries two orthogonal one-way waveguide states which have amplitude uniformly distributed over a large area. We show that such one-way waveguide states can be used to abruptly narrow the beam width of an extended state to concentrate energy, and the transport is robust against different kinds of defects and imperfections. They are also immune to the Anderson-type localization when large randomness is introduced.

Topological Subspace-Induced Bound State in the Continuum.

We propose and experimentally realize a new kind of bound states in the continuum (BICs) in a class of systems constructed by coupling multiple identical one-dimensional chains, each with inversion symmetry. In such systems, a specific separation of the Hilbert space into a topological and a nontopological subspace exists. Bulk-boundary correspondence in the topological subspace guarantees the existence of a localized interface state which can lie in the continuum of extended states in the nontopological subspace, forming a BIC. Such a topological BIC is observed experimentally in a system consisting of coupled acoustic resonators.

Risk Factors for Surgical Treatment of Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease in Middle-aged and Older Women: A Prospective Case-Control Study of 2370 Subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Given the distinct physiological and societal traits between women and men, we propose that there are distinct risk factors for lumbar degenerative disc disease surgeries, including lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), in middle-aged and older populations. However, few studies have focused on middle-aged and older women. This study aims to identify these risk factors specifically in this population. METHODS: In this case-control study, the study group comprised 1202 women aged ≥ 45 years who underwent operative treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease (LDH, n = 825; LSS, n = 377), and the control group comprised 1168 women without lumbar disease who visited a health examination clinic during the same period. The study factors included demographics (age, body mass index [BMI], smoking, labor intensity, and genetic history), female-specific factors (menopausal status, number of deliveries, cesarean section, and simple hysterectomy), surgical history (number of abdominal surgeries, hip joint surgery, knee joint surgery, and thyroidectomy), and systemic diseases (hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyper-low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of associated factors. RESULTS: The risk factors for surgical treatment of LDH in middle-aged and older women included BMI (OR = 1.603), labor intensity (OR = 1.189), genetic history (OR = 2.212), number of deliveries (OR = 1.736), simple hysterectomy (OR = 2.511), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 1.932), and hyper-low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia (OR = 2.662). For surgical treatment of LSS, the risk factors were age (OR = 1.889), BMI (OR = 1.671), genetic history (OR = 2.134), number of deliveries (OR = 2.962), simple hysterectomy (OR = 1.968), knee joint surgery (OR = 2.527), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 1.476), hyper-low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia (OR = 2.413), and diabetes (OR = 1.643). Cerebrovascular disease was a protective factor against surgery for LDH (OR = 0.267). CONCLUSIONS: BMI, genetic history, number of deliveries, simple hysterectomy, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyper-low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia were independent risk factors for surgical treatment of both LDH and LSS in middle-aged and older women. Two disparities were found: labor intensity was a risk factor for LDH patients, and knee joint surgery and diabetes were risk factors for LSS patients.

hUC-MSCs-derived MFGE8 ameliorates locomotor dysfunction via inhibition of ITGB3/ NF-κB signaling in an NMO mouse model.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that affects motor function and causes relapsing disability. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been used extensively in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, due to their potent regulatory roles that can mitigate inflammation and repair damaged tissues. However, their use in NMO is currently limited, and the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of hUC-MSCs on motor function in NMO remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the effects of hUC-MSCs on the recovery of motor function in an NMO systemic model. Our findings demonstrate that milk fat globule epidermal growth 8 (MFGE8), a key functional factor secreted by hUC-MSCs, plays a critical role in ameliorating motor impairments. We also elucidate that the MFGE8/Integrin αvß3/NF-κB signaling pathway is partially responsible for structural and functional recovery, in addition to motor functional enhancements induced by hUC-MSC exposure. Taken together, these findings strongly support the involvement of MFGE8 in mediating hUC-MSCs-induced improvements in motor functional recovery in an NMO mouse model. In addition, this provides new insight on the therapeutic potential of hUC-MSCs and the mechanisms underlying their beneficial effects in NMO.

Analysis of the value of artificial intelligence combined with musculoskeletal ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of pain rehabilitation of scapulohumeral periarthritis.

To explore the value of artificial intelligence combined with musculoskeletal ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of pain rehabilitation of scapulohumeral periarthritis. A total of 165 patients with periarthritis of the shoulder, who were admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2022, were selected. Konica SONIMAGE HS1 PLUS color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic instrument was used to detect muscles and bones of patients with scapulohumeral periarthritis. This study proposed an intelligent clustering analysis algorithm with musculoskeletal ultrasound parameters. The neural network was trained on a GeForce RTX 3060 with the Adam W optimizer, a batch size of 12, and an initial learning rate of 5E-4. Each batch of 2 types of trained samples was input into the network in a specific proportion. Pain was assessed on a 10-point visual analogue scale. On the affected side of scapulohumeral periarthritis, the mild pain group showed thickening of the shoulder posterior capsule (2.02 ± 0.72) mm with clear edges. In the moderate pain group, the thickness of the shoulder posterior capsule gradually narrowed (1.01 ± 0.38) mm and became even thinner than that of the unaffected side, with irregular and blurred edges. In the severe pain group, the thickness of the shoulder posterior capsule largely returned to normal (1.21 ± 0.42) mm, and the edge was clear. Multivariate logistic regression showed that in addition to musculoskeletal ultrasound parameters, the length of service, work nature, and the busy degree of work of patients with periarthritis of the shoulder were significant factors that influenced shoulder periarthritis pain (P < .05). The performance of the proposed intelligent auscultation algorithm was further examined in a clinical setting, in which we used 165 clinical musculoskeletal ultrasound samples (including 81 positive and 84 negative samples) as a test set. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.833, 0.872, and 0.801, respectively. Musculoskeletal ultrasound combined with artificial intelligence algorithm is a new diagnostic and staging tool for scapulohumeral periarthritis.

[Electroacupuncture mitigates hyperlipidemia via improving cholesterol metabolism mediated by SCAP/SREBP-2 signaling in liver tissue in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) cleavage-activating protein (SCAP)/ SREBP-2 signaling and the expressions of its downstream cholesterol metabolism related molecules 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) in the liver tissue in rats with hyperlipidemia (HLP), so as to reveal its mechanisms underlying improvement of HLP. METHODS: Male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, HLP model and EA groups (n=10/group). The HLP model was established by feeding the rats with high-fat diet for 28 d. Rats in the EA group received EA stimulation (2 Hz/100 Hz, 2 mA) at "Fenglong" (ST40) and "Yinlingquan"(SP9) for 30 min, once daily for 28 d. The contents of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the serum, the activity of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (AST) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (ALT) were detected by automatic biochemical analysis. The content of TC in the liver tissue was detected using high performance liquid chromatography. The mRNA and protein expression levels of SCAP, SREBP-2, HMGCR, PCSK9 and LDLR in the liver tissue were measured by using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. The immunofluorescence density of liver SCAP was determined by using immunofluorescence histochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the contents of liver TC, serum TC, LDL-C, the activities of AST and ALT, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of SCAP, SREBP-2, HMGCR, PCSK9 as well as SCAP immunoactivity were significantly increased (P<0.01), while the LDLR mRNA and protein levels were markedly decreased (P<0.01) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the contents of liver TC， serum TC, LDL-C, the activities of AST and ALT and the expression of SCAP, SREBP-2, HMGCR, PCSK9 mRNAs and proteins and SCAP immunoactivity were considerably decreased in the EA group (P<0.01), while the LDLR protein level was evidently increased in the EA group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA intervention can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver and thus improve hyperlipidemia in HLP rats, which may be realized by down-regulating the protein and mRNA expressions of hepatic SCAP/SREBP-2, HMGCR and PCSK9, and up-regulating LDLR protein.

Hybrid elastic solids.

Metamaterials can exhibit electromagnetic and elastic characteristics beyond those found in nature. In this work, we present a design of elastic metamaterial that exhibits multiple resonances in its building blocks. Band structure calculations show two negative dispersion bands, of which one supports only compressional waves and thereby blurs the distinction between a fluid and a solid over a finite frequency regime, whereas the other displays 'super anisotropy' in which compressional waves and shear waves can propagate only along different directions. Such unusual characteristics, well explained by the effective medium theory, have no comparable analogue in conventional solids and may lead to novel applications.

Homology-driven chromatin remodeling by human RAD54.

Human RAD51 and RAD54 are key players in homologous recombination, a process that requires homology recognition and strand invasion by a RAD51-single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) nucleoprotein filament and chromatin remodeling by RAD54. Here we use in vitro chromatin reconstitution systems to show that RAD51-ssDNA stimulates RAD54-dependent chromatin remodeling in a homology-dependent, polarity-independent manner. This stimulation was not seen with RAD54B or other remodelers. Chromatin remodeling by RAD54 enabled strand invasion by RAD51-ssDNA on nucleosomal templates, which was homology- and polarity-dependent. Three natural RAD54 mutants found in primary cancer cells showed specific defects in remodeling or in the RAD54-RAD51 interaction. We propose that RAD54 is recruited by RAD51-ssDNA filament to the chromatin of the intact chromosome and that it remodels that chromatin to facilitate accessibility for strand exchange.

[Determination of cationic degree in PDA with near infrared reflectance spectroscopy].

Cationic degree has been investigated as an important factor in polyacrylamide materials. Diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and acrylamide (PDA) was grafted by free radical polymerisation of acrylamide monomer (AM) onto the cationic monomer dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (DMDAAC). In the present study, near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was used as a rapid and accurate method to determine the cationic degree in the PDA. In this experiment, the near infrared spectra of 37 PDA samples that were self-prepared in the laboratory from 900.00 to 1 700.00 were collected. The characteristic peaks and the entire spectrum segment as the input layer neurons in radical basis function (RBF) were investigated for establishing the mathematical conversion NIRS calibration mode. For reduction of the NIR spectrum noise, the wavelet analysis was used as pretreatment process. The measured value was determined by using precipitation titration and a comparison between the simulated value and measured value was made. It was found that the external validation determination coefficient was more than 0.9, and the simulation value is in good agreement with the measured value. The statistics analysis showed that there was no significant difference between simulated value and measured value. Therefore, the calibration model (RBF neural network) established in this paper exhibited a remarkable feasibility for predicting the cationic degree of PDA based on the near infrared spectroscopy.

Safety and immunogenicity of a quadrivalent, inactivated, split-virion influenza vaccine (IIV4-W) in healthy people aged 3-60 years: a phase III randomized clinical noninferiority trial.

BACKGROUND: A quadrivalent split influenza vaccine IIV4-W against both influenza A and B viruses is urgently needed. METHODS: To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of IIV4-W in people aged 3-60 years, 2400 participants recruited in a double-blind phase III trial and were randomly assigned to the IIV4-W, TIV1 and TIV2 groups. The immunogenicity indicators were measured at 28 days postvaccination and for 180 days for safety follow-up. RESULTS: Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 162 (20.28%), 116 (14.55%) and 123 (15.41%) participants in the IIV4-W, TIV1 and TIV2 groups, respectively. All these AEs were mild and self-limiting, and no serious AEs related to the vaccines were observed. IIV4-W elicited a non-inferior immune response for matched strains (the lower limit of 95% CI for GMT ratio >0.67, for SCR and SPR difference >-10%) and superior immune response for the additional B strains (the lower limit of 95% CI for GMT ratio >1.5, for SCR difference >10%) versus TIVs. The lower limit of the 95% confidence interval of the GMT increase fold, the seroconversion rate and the seroprotection rate exceeded 2.5, 40% and 70% for the four strains in IIV4-W respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IIV4-W was noninferior to the TIV-matched strains and was superior to the additional B strain. IIV4-W was safe in the participants and elicited high antibody titers.

Elastic metamaterials with simultaneously negative effective shear modulus and mass density.

We propose a type of elastic metamaterial comprising fluid-solid composite inclusions which can possess a negative shear modulus and negative mass density over a large frequency region. Such a material has the unique property that only transverse waves can propagate with a negative dispersion while longitudinal waves are forbidden. This leads to many interesting phenomena such as negative refraction, which is demonstrated by using a wedge sample and a significant amount of mode conversion from transverse waves to longitudinal waves that cannot occur on the interface of two natural solids.

[Preparation and structural analysis of diatomite-supported SPFS flocculant].

In the presetn study, polymerized ferric sulphate (PFS) flocculant was prepared and tested. In the preparation of PFS flocculant, industrial by-product ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O) was reused as the main material. By composition with diatomite and drying up at certain temperature in vacuum drying oven, solid PFS flocculant was produced. Structural characteristics of the new flocculant product were examined through infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed that by compositing with diatomite, new group bridging emerged in the structure of PFS, which made the bond of groups stronger. In addition, part of the metalic contents in diatomite was polymerized with PFS, the product of which was polymerized ferric complex. Furthermore, the absorbing and agglomerating capacity of the diatomite carrier was significant. Considering the factors listed above, the new solid polymerized ferric sulphate (SPFS) flocculant was characterized with a larger molecule structure and enhanced absorbing, bridging and rolling sweep capacities. Through orthogonal experiment, optimum conditions of synthesis were as follows: the ratio of FeSO4.7H2O/diatomite in weight was 43/1, the reaction time is 1 h and the reaction temperature is 55 degrees C. By wastewater treatment experiment, it was found that the synthetic products showed good flocculation performance in the treatment of domestic sewage, the removal of COD was 80.00% and the removal of turbidity was 99.98%.

Study on the Algorithm of Three-Dimensional Surface Residual Material Height of Nano-ZrO2 Ceramics under Ultra-Precision Grinding.

A large number of studies have shown that the height of a residual material is the key factor affecting the surface quality of ultra-precision grinding. However, the grinding process contains several random factors, such as the randomness of grinding particle size and the random distribution of grinding particles, which cause the complexity of the material removal process. In this study, taking the Nano-ZrO2 as an example, the removal process of surface materials in ultra-precision grinding of hard and brittle materials was analyzed by probability. A new calculation method for the height of surface residual materials in ultra-precision grinding of Nano-ZrO2 was proposed, and the prediction model of the three-dimensional roughness Sa and Sq were established by using this calculation method. The simulation and experimental results show that this calculation method can obtain the more accurate surface residual material height value which accords with the characteristics of three-dimensional roughness sampling, which provides a theoretical reference for the analysis of the material removal process and the surface quality evaluation of ultra-precision grinding of hard and brittle materials.

Four-band non-Abelian topological insulator and its experimental realization.

Very recently, increasing attention has been focused on non-Abelian topological charges, e.g., the quaternion group Q8. Different from Abelian topological band insulators, these systems involve multiple entangled bulk bandgaps and support nontrivial edge states that manifest the non-Abelian topological features. Furthermore, a system with an even or odd number of bands will exhibit a significant difference in non-Abelian topological classification. To date, there has been scant research investigating even-band non-Abelian topological insulators. Here, we both theoretically explore and experimentally realize a four-band PT (inversion and time-reversal) symmetric system, where two new classes of topological charges as well as edge states are comprehensively studied. We illustrate their difference in the four-dimensional (4D) rotation sense on the stereographically projected Clifford tori. We show the evolution of the bulk topology by extending the 1D Hamiltonian onto a 2D plane and provide the accompanying edge state distributions following an analytical method. Our work presents an exhaustive study of four-band non-Abelian topological insulators and paves the way towards other even-band systems.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on insulin sensitivity and TLR4/ IκBα/ NF-κB signaling in hypothalamus of obese rats with insulin resistance].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on the hypothalamic Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/ inhibitor nuclear factor kappa-B α(IκBα)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in obese insulin resistance (OIR) rats，so as to explore the mechanism of EA underlying improving of insulin resistance. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into normal, model and EA groups, with 8 rats in each group. The rat model of OIR was established by feeding with high-fat diet for 8 weeks. EA(2 Hz，1 mA)was applied to unilateral"Zusanli"(ST36),"Fenglong"(ST40),"Zhongwan"(CV12)and"Guanyuan"(CV4)for 10 min, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The body mass, fasting blood glucose(FBG) and postprandial blood glucose (PBG) were measured before and after 2、4、6、8 weeks' intervention. An intraperitoneal injection glucose tolerance test and hyperglycemic clamps were applied to test insulin resistance. The expression of TLR4、p-IκBα、NF-κB p65、TNF-α、IL-1ß mRNA and protein in hypothalamus was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, separately. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the body mass and PBG of the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01); glucose infusion rate(GIR) was significantly reduced (P<0.01); in the IPGTT test, the increase in blood glucose was significantly greater after 90 and 120 min of glucose injection(P<0.01); the hypothalamus TLR4, NF-κB p65，p-IκBα, TNF-α, IL-1ß mRNA and protein expressions were all significantly increased (P<0.01). After EA intervention, the body weight and PBG were significantly down-regulated after 6 weeks and 2 weeks of intervention (P<0.05, P<0.01); GIR were significantly up-regulated after 8 weeks of intervention (P<0.05); In the IPGTT test, the increase in blood glucose 60 min after glucose injection was significantly down-regulated (P<0.05); hypothalamus TLR4, NF-κB p65，p-IκBα, TNF-α, IL -1ß mRNA and protein expression were significantly down-regulated (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA can reduce the body weight of OIR rats and improve IR, which may be related to down-regulating the hypothalamic TLR4/IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Local diffusion theory for localized waves in open media.

We report a first-principles study of static transport of localized waves in quasi-one-dimensional open media. We find that such transport, dominated by disorder-induced resonant transmissions, displays novel diffusive behavior. Our analytical predictions are entirely confirmed by numerical simulations. We show that the prevailing self-consistent localization theory [B. A. van Tiggelen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4333 (2000)] is valid only if disorder-induced resonant transmissions are negligible. Our findings open a new direction in the study of Anderson localization in open media.