Robust mode-locking in all-fiber ultrafast laser by nanocavity of two-dimensional heterostructure.

The fiber-based saturable absorber (SA) that enables mode-locking within a ring cavity serves as the core component of the ultrafast all-fiber lasers. However, the integration of SAs onto fibers with high compactness suffers from imbalanced saturable absorption properties and unstable mode-locking performance. Here, we present a robust mode-locking SA by integrating a nanocavity composed of a two-dimensional graphene heterostructure on the fiber end facet.

Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials.

Triggered by advances in atomic-layer exfoliation and growth techniques, along with the identification of a wide range of extraordinary physical properties in self-standing films consisting of one or a few atomic layers, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and other van der Waals (vdW) crystals now constitute a broad research field expanding in multiple directions through the combination of layer stacking and twisting, nanofabrication, surface-science methods, and integration into nanostructured environments. Photonics encompasses a multidisciplinary subset of those directions, where 2D materials contribute remarkable nonlinearities, long-lived and ultraconfined polaritons, strong excitons, topological and chiral effects, susceptibility to external stimuli, accessibility, robustness, and a completely new range of photonic materials based on layer stacking, gating, and the formation of moiré patterns. These properties are being leveraged to develop applications in electro-optical modulation, light emission and detection, imaging and metasurfaces, integrated optics, sensing, and quantum physics across a broad spectral range extending from the far-infrared to the ultraviolet, as well as enabling hybridization with spin and momentum textures of electronic band structures and magnetic degrees of freedom.

A Retrospective Study of Pregnancy and Fetal Outcomes in Mothers with Hepatitis C Viremia.

Objective: To investigate chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection's effect on gestational liver function, pregnancy and delivery complications, and neonatal development.

Methods: A total of 157 HCV antibody-positive (anti-HCV[+]) and HCV RNA(+) patients (Group C) and 121 anti-HCV(+) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group B) were included as study participants, while 142 anti-HCV(-) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group A) were the control group. Data on biochemical indices during pregnancy, pregnancy complications, delivery-related information, and neonatal complications were also collected.

Gene-Smoking Interaction in Insulin Sensitivity and β-Cell Function Among Normal Glucose Tolerance Individuals.

Objective: To identify genetic loci that exhibit potential interactions with smoking status on insulin sensitivity and islet β-cell function within normal glucose tolerance (NGT) populations.

Methods: All participants underwent an OGTT to confirm NGT status, followed by assessments of insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. Analyses were performed in NGT participants from Nanjing (N = 4808) and Jurong (N = 508) for discovery and validation, respectively.

Stable ultrafast graphene hot-electron source on optical fiber.

A stable and durable ultrafast electron source is highly desirable for sophisticated vacuum electron technologies. However, free-space excitations based on ultrahigh-power or deep-ultraviolet pulsed lasers usually cause cathode material damage and mechanical vibration even under ultrahigh vacuum. In this work, we present a compact ultrafast electron source consisting of graphene integrated on an optical fiber, taking advantage of the ultrafast hot-electron emission from graphene and well-defined single-mode excitation from the optical fiber.

Non-linear frequency-doubling up-conversion in sulfide minerals enables deep-sea oxygenic photosynthesis.

Visible light emission exceeding purely thermal radiation has been imaged at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unexplained. Here, we show that visible light can be produced from geothermal infrared radiation via nonlinear frequency-doubling up-conversion in sulfide minerals that are abundant in hydrothermal vents. Chalcopyrite exhibits significant second harmonic generation, which is further amplified under high pressure, yielding a 400-700 nm photon flux three orders of magnitude greater than blackbody emission.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles enhance the toxicity of chlorantraniliprole to Spodoptera frugiperda by possibly inhibiting energy metabolism and chitin protein synthesis.

Nanosized formulations are an important means to develop effective pesticide molecules against target pests with improved environmental safety. In this study, we constructed a nanodelivery system using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) carrying chlorantraniliprole (CLAP). The drug loading rate was determined using liquid chromatography, and CLAP@MSNs were characterized and analyzed.

Investigation on fabrication of silicon nanopores using an electrochemical passivation etch-stop strategy.

The three-step wet etching (TSWE) method has been proven to be a promising technique for fabricating silicon nanopores. Despite its potential, one of the bottlenecks of this method is the precise control of the silicon etching and etch-stop, which results in obtaining a well-defined nanopore size. Herein, we present a novel strategy leveraging electrochemical passivation to achieve accurate control over the silicon etching process.

Potential Roles of SNX17, Rab11, and Rab5 in LDLR Recycling.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Elevated levels of serum LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) represent a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis. LDLR (low-density lipoprotein receptor) plays a critical role in LDL-C uptake and clearance, with its recycling to the cell surface being essential for maintaining LDLR availability.

Deciphering Seed Deterioration: Molecular Insights and Priming Strategies for Revitalizing Aged Seeds.

Seed deterioration is an inevitable process during storage, characterized by a gradual loss of germination capacity and eventual seed death, which poses challenges to seed longevity and the preservation of genetic resources. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving seed aging and inherent resistance pathways, alongside developing innovative rejuvenation strategies for deteriorated seeds, is crucial for agricultural sustainability and germplasm banking. This review systematically examines (1) redox-regulated deterioration pathways involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) and macromolecular damage cascades, (2) anti-deterioration mechanisms mediated by the antioxidant system and macromolecular repair mechanisms, (3) genetic-epigenetic networks governing seed aging resistance, particularly ABA- and IAA-mediated signaling through ABI3/ABI5/LEC1 regulons, and (4) technological advances in seed priming that restore aged seeds via metabolic resetting and repair potentiation.

Machine learning-derived multivariate renal function trajectories in acute kidney injury in critically ill patients: a multicentre retrospective study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) exhibits considerable heterogeneity. The objective of the current study was to identify AKI subphenotypes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients using multivariate renal function trajectories.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on two independent datasets: the MIMIC-IV and eICU datasets.

Impact of Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, and Employee Well-being on Mental Healthcare of Workers' Affectiveness: The Mediating Role of Employee Satisfaction and the Moderating Effect of Digital Leadership.

Recently, the most critical psychological challenges have compelled healthcare professionals to confront their mental health issues. Consequently, many employees experiencing elevated levels of psychological stress have reported disengagement and dissatisfaction across various aspects of their work. Given the strong association between individual well-being and job satisfaction, how healthcare employees regulate their emotions and psychological health to attain job satisfaction remains largely unexplored.

M2 macrophage-targeted metal-polyphenol networks (MPNs) for OPN siRNA delivery and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapy.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) exhibits extremely high mortality rates. Targeted therapy, which utilizes specific drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific molecular targets in the lesion, holds promise as a potent means of treating IPF. M2 macrophages have been shown to express high levels of osteopontin (OPN) early in the onset of IPF and sustain this high expression to promote the progression of IPF.

Current strategies for senescence treatment: Focused on theranostic performance of nanomaterials.

Age-related diseases imposed heavy burdens to the healthcare systems globally, while cell senescence served as one fundamental molecular/cellular basis for these diseases. How to tackle the senescence-relevant problems is a hotspot for biomedical research. In this review article, the hallmarks and molecular pathways of cell senescence were firstly discussed, followed by the introduction of the current anti-senescence strategies, including senolytics and senomorphics.

CD44 identified as a diagnostic biomarker for highly malignant CA19-9 negative pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer with limited diagnostic biomarkers. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is a widely used clinical biomarker and is generally considered to correlate with PDAC malignancy. However, the relationship between CA19-9 expression levels and tumor aggressiveness remains underexplored.

The role of cerebellar-cortical connectivity in modulating attentional abilities: insight from football athletes.

Neuroplasticity, a phenomenon present throughout the lifespan, is thought to be influenced by physical training. However, the relationship between neuroplastic differences and attentional abilities remains unclear. This study explored the differences in brain function and attentional abilities between professional football athletes and novices, and further investigated the relationship between the two.

Inflammation-Induced Nitric Oxide Synthase May Mediate the Acute Hypotensive Effect of ST36 Stimulation.

Purpose: Acupoint Zusanli (ST36) has been shown to reduce blood pressure, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. This study aimed to characterize the effects of manual acupuncture (MA) at ST36 on BP and its associated mechanisms in anesthetized rats.

Methods: The cardiovascular response to MA at ST36 in Sprague-Dawley rats was measured by electrocardiogram, hemodynamic methods, heart rate variability, echocardiography, laser speckle contrast imaging, and Western blotting.

A tunable entangled photon-pair source based on a Van der Waals insulator.

Scalable quantum photonic devices drive the development of compact sources of entangled photons, which are pivotal for quantum communication, computing, and cryptography. In this work, we present entangled photon pair generation in rhombohedral boron nitride (r-BN), leveraging its unique optical and structural properties. Unlike conventional hexagonal boron nitride, which suffers from reduced nonlinear response due to centrosymmetric structure in even-layered stacks, r-BN features interlayer ABC stacking and maintains robust in-plane inversion symmetry.

The Impact of Long-Term Tai Chi Practice on the Trust Behavior of Middle-Aged People.

Purpose: Trust behavior is of fundamental importance for social stability and development. Middle-aged people, owing to their abundant social resources and extensive experience, have a significant impact through their trust behavior. However, research on enhancing their trust behavior is relatively scarce.

Anisotropic Microparticles with a Controllable Structure via Soap-Free Seeded Emulsion Polymerization.

Anisotropic particles have a wide range of applications in materials science such as emulsion stabilization, oil-water separation, and catalysis due to their asymmetric structure and properties. Nevertheless, designing and synthesizing large quantities of anisotropic particles with controlled morphologies continue to present considerable challenges. In this study, we successfully synthesized anisotropic microspheres using a soap-free seed emulsion polymerization method.

Anomalous photovoltaics in Janus MoSSe monolayers.

The anomalous photovoltaic effect (APE) in polar crystals is a promising avenue for overcoming the energy conversion efficiency limits of conventional photoelectric devices utilizing p-n junction architectures. To facilitate effective photocarrier separation and enhance the APE, polar materials need to be thinned down to maximize the depolarization field. Here, we demonstrate Janus MoSSe monolayers (~0.

Nanoscale thickness Octave-spanning coherent supercontinuum light generation.

Coherent broadband light generation has attracted massive attention due to its numerous applications ranging from metrology, sensing, and imaging to communication. In general, spectral broadening is realized via third-order and higher-order nonlinear optical processes (e.g.

Stacking Engineering toward Giant Second Harmonic Generation in Twisted Graphene Superstructures.

The nonlinear optical response in graphene is finding increasing applications in nanophotonic devices. The activation and enhancement of second harmonic generation (SHG) in graphene, which is generally forbidden in monolayer and AB-stacked bilayer graphene due to their centrosymmetry, is of urgent need for nanophotonic applications. Here, we present a comprehensive study of SHG performance of twisted multilayer graphene structures based on stacking engineering.

Quality attributes, antioxidant activity and color profile of orange-fleshed sweet potato grown in Vietnam.

This study analyzed the nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activities and estimated potential renal acid load (PRAL) score of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) grown in Vietnam. In addition, important functional groups of carotenoid compounds in OFSP were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); carotenoid pigments were detected and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that, OFSP had outstanding physicochemical characteristics, containing many nutrients, bioactive substances, minerals and fiber.