Tunable exceptional lines in non-Hermitian diamond photonic lattices.

Higher-order exceptional point (EP) geometries, comprising lines, rings, or surfaces formed by EPs, have garnered significant attention due to their rich topological properties and potential sensing applications. However, constructing such geometries remains challenging, as it requires additional degrees of freedom in the Hamiltonian's parameter space or higher symmetry levels, particularly in discrete systems. Here, by introducing controlled asymmetric couplings, we investigate the symmetry and exceptional lines (ELs) in non-Hermitian diamond photonic lattices.

Investigating Atypical Neural Dynamics and Gene Expression in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Insights From Co-Activation Patterns.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a focal epilepsy extensively examined through advanced neuroimaging techniques to elucidate its pathophysiological mechanisms. This study investigates the differences in dynamic brain activity and gene expression in TLE patients. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected from 60 TLE patients and 30 healthy controls (HC).

Ground-state patterns in a Rydberg-dressed Bose-Einstein condensate with spin-orbit coupling and Lee-Huang-Yang correction.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking and self-organized pattern formation in nonlinear systems are fundamental phenomena with broad implications. Studying these effects in cold atomic gases, particularly through the optical control of laser-dressed Rydberg atoms, bridges atomic physics and modern optics. Here, we investigate the ground-state matter-wave pattern formation in cold Rydberg-dressed Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) with considerations of the Lee-Huang-Yang (LHY) correction and Raman-induced spin-orbit coupling (SOC).

Linear light localization in two-dimensional fractional diffraction quasicrystals.

We numerically investigate linear light localization in two-dimensional photonic quasicrystals incorporating fractional diffraction. Our findings reveal that localization arises when the potential depth exceeds a critical threshold, which diminishes rapidly with increasing order of discrete rotational symmetry. Notably, fractional diffraction modifies these thresholds, enabling localization in significantly shallower potentials compared to conventional systems-particularly under lower diffraction orders (where fractional effects are most pronounced).

Respiratory mucosal vaccination of platycodin-functionalized biomimetic nanovaccines for amplifying immune response.

Stimulating respiratory immunity helps protect from infection, mitigate disease severity, and curtail transmission. Nonetheless, the majority of current nanovaccines are unable to elicit strong mucosal and systemic immunity owing to suboptimal formulations. Inspired by natural pathogens, we developed virus-like biomimetic nanovaccines in which the heparan sulfate-modified liposome layer (SH-Lip) mimics the "capsid", while platycodin with varying glycosyl side chain structures (PD, PD3, PE) functions as the exposed "spike proteins" to boost immune response and antigen delivery.

How Does Meaning-Centered Coping Influence College Students' Mental Health? The Mediating Roles of Interdependent Self-Construal and School Connectedness.

Meaning-centered coping is regarded as an effective strategy for managing stress and preventing mental disorders. However, it remains unclear how it influences mental health by affecting both the self and social connection dimensions. This study investigated 856 college students through a questionnaire, examining how meaning-centered coping affects their mental health (depression and anxiety).

The Drosophila DEG/ENaC PPK12 is a Na leak channel with a low Na affinity.

DEG/ENaC ion channels have various functions in different organisms. In Drosophila, DEG/ENaCs are named Pickpockets (PPKs) and form a large insect-specific radiation with seven subfamilies containing 31 members. Several different functions have been proposed for PPKs, including salt and water taste.

Brain connectivity regions of lesions causing focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures correlates with gene expression.

Focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTCS) is one of the most severe forms of seizures. Why lesions in some brain areas result in FBTCS while lesions in other areas do not? This study aimed to examine whether the locations of lesions causing FBTCS were mapped to specific brain regions and to explore correlation between the specific brain regions and gene expression. A retrospective study was conducted involving 25 patients diagnosed with FBTCS.

Novel Insight of Posterior Capsule Opacification: The Role of Lens Epithelial Cell Senescence.

Background: Posterior capsule opacification (PCO), the most common complication following cataract surgery, results from the proliferation, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of residual lens epithelial cells (LECs), typically driven by postoperative inflammatory and growth factor changes. However, delayed-onset PCO, occurring years after surgery without obvious inflammation, suggests the involvement of additional mechanisms, with senescent cells identified as contributors to EMT. This study investigates the role of LEC senescence in PCO development.

Characterization of Ultra-Short plasma Cell-Free DNA in maternal blood and its preliminary potential as a screening marker for preeclampsia.

Background: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal blood is the foundation for non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS). Recently, ultra-short cfDNA fragments, ranging from 30 to 70 base pairs (bp), have been identified and show promise in cancer diagnostics. However, the characteristics of ultra-short cfDNA in maternal blood during pregnancy remain unexplored.

Research Note: Isolation and genomic characterization of Avibacterium paragallinarum from the Hubei Province, China.

Infectious coryza (IC), caused by Avibacterium paragallinarum, is a major respiratory disease in chickens. It causes growth retardation in broilers and reduced egg production in layers, ultimately leading to huge economic losses to the poultry industry. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of 12 A.

Muscle afferent ASIC3 upregulation mediates the exacerbated exercise pressor reflex in male rats following hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion.

We examined if the hindlimb muscle ischemia-reperfusion (IR) alters ASIC3-mediated muscle afferent activity in regulating the exercise pressor reflex (EPR). APETx2 (an ASIC3 antagonist) was arterially injected into the hindlimb before static muscle contraction. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded.

The effectiveness of mindful walking based on the timing it right framework in patients with atrial fibrillation and chronic heart failure.

Objective: To explore the effects of mindful walking (MFW) based on the Timing It Right (TIR) framework on anxiety, depression, and cardiopulmonary function in patients with atrial fibrillation combined with chronic heart failure.

Methods: A total of 86 patients with atrial fibrillation and chronic heart failure admitted to the cardiology department of our hospital between June 2023 and March 2024 were enrolled in this study. Two homogeneous management wards were selected, with 43 patients from Ward A serving as the control group and 43 patients from Ward B as the intervention group.

Application of Immersive Teaching in the Training of Hospice Care Professionals: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

ContextHospice care landscape is the stark contrast between developed and developing countries. There is a pressing need to strengthen the construction of hospice care talent teams further and establish corresponding training and development systems. Moreover, the study on the immersive teaching in hospice care training is lacking.

Eiger pleiotropically regulates the immunity of Ostrinia furnacalis larvae.

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily is a set of essential inflammatory cytokines. In Drosophila, as a homolog of TNF, Eiger was first identified, which is involved in innate immunity signaling pathways. However, in Lepidoptera, the functions of Eiger and its molecular regulatory mechanisms on immune responses are unknown.

Impaired degree centrality and effective connectivity contributed to deficits in cognition and depression in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) leads to severe neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairment; however, the underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. Using degree centrality (DC), effective connectivity (EC), and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA), we aimed to reveal alterations in brain networks and investigate neurofunctional symptoms in TLE patients. A total of fifty TLE patients and forty-seven healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) and neuropsychological testing.

An adaptive AI-based virtual reality sports system for adolescents with excess body weight: a randomized controlled trial.

Adolescents with obesity face numerous health risks and encounter barriers that lead to physical inactivity. We developed a virtual reality sports system, named REVERIE (Real-World Exercise and VR-Based Exercise Research in Education), which used deep reinforcement learning to train transformer-based virtual coaching agents, offering immersive and effective sports guidance, with biomechanical performance comparable to real-world physical sports. We integrated REVERIE into a randomized controlled trial involving an 8-week intervention in adolescents with excess body weight (n = 227).

Clinical and imaging characteristics of encapsulated papillary carcinoma: a comparative analysis with intraductal papilloma.

Objective: Encapsulated papillary carcinoma (EPC) exhibits clinical and imaging characteristics that resemble those of the benign tumor intraductal papilloma (IDP). The differences between these two entities have not been extensively studied. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the clinical and imaging features of EPC and IDP.

Synergistic strategies for pollution and carbon emission reduction in China's wastewater treatment: A comprehensive tiered assessment and benchmarking framework.

China's dual-carbon goals challenges wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), requiring integrated pollution control and carbon emission reduction. Critical gaps hinder China's strategies for WWTPs, particularly in identifying upgrade needs, optimizing performance, and assessing the local benchmark plants as references. This study addresses these gaps through greenhouse gas (GHG) emission accounting and impact factor analysis, using monthly data from 2232 WWTPs across China.

Optical pattern formation of laser fields in the Rydberg atomic gases.

We study the phenomena of long-wave and short-wave modulation instabilities (LMI and SMI) in Rydberg atomic gases within the framework of the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equations in the local and nonlocal regions (characterized by the ratio of beam radius to radius of Rydberg blockade sphere), respectively. We further reveal the rich soliton dynamics arising from interactions of nonlinear waves triggered by LMI. We also show the variety of spatial self-organization pattern formations and their active manipulation due to SMI.

Exploring the influence of pulmonary pathological state on the in vivo fate of inhaled microparticles with different structural characteristics.

Currently, marketed inhalation products for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have limited time of action due to pulmonary clearance mechanism and short of sustained-release characteristics. Meanwhile, little is known on how the pathological state of PAH affects the in vivo fate of inhaled microparticles. Thus, the objective of this study is to elucidate the influence of pulmonary pathological state on the in vivo behavior of inhaled microparticles with different structural characteristics.

Changes of Prenatal Sonographic Vascular Parameters in Coarctation of the Aorta and the Risk Factors.

Purpose: To investigate changes in ultrasound vascular parameters in fetuses with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and risk factors for CoA presence.

Materials And Methods: Fetuses of CoA and healthy controls without CoA confirmed after birth were prospectively enrolled. All ultrasound-related vascular parameters were analyzed.

The Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) Combined With Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Sequential Therapy for Extensive Esophageal Lesions.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a sequential treatment combining endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for extensive esophageal lesions, focusing on reducing esophageal stenosis and improving patients' quality of life.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with extensive esophageal lesions who underwent sequential treatment of ESD and RFA. Lesion characteristics were assessed using Lugol's iodine staining, white-light endoscopy, and ultrasound endoscopy.

The Plant Alkaloid Harmaline Blocks the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Na1.7: A Study Using an Automated Patch-Clamp.

The voltage-gated sodium channel Na1.7 is essential for pain perception and is an interesting target for the development of pain-relieving substances. Here, we investigated whether the Na1.

Targeted Knockdown of Epithelial Estrogen Receptor α to Mitigate Ferroptosis and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Eosinophilic Asthma.

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is involved with the hyperresponsiveness and airway remodeling in asthma, but developing therapies targeting ERα remains challenging due to its multifaceted roles in different cell types and the poor efficacy of systemic ERα intervention in asthma. Previously, we uncovered the association of increased ERα expression in airway epithelial cells with poor pulmonary function and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in asthma patients. This study further investigated the association of ERα expression with the ferroptosis and EMT levels in a cohort of eosinophilic asthma (EA) patients as well as in an eosinophil-epithelial coculture cell model.