A comparative analysis of the microbiome of cigars produced in the Caribbean and China.

Fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves involves intense microbial activity, and hence, microorganisms have a significant impact on the quality and flavour of cigars. However, research on the correlation between microbial communities and the sensory quality of cigars remains inconclusive. In this study, a comparative analysis of the microbial profiles of five Caribbean- and five Chinese-produced cigar products was conducted to reveal significant differences in the microbiome of cigars from two origins, potentially accounting for the variance in their quality and flavour.

The functional connectivity between dorsal-medial prefrontal cortex and middle cingulate cortex links trait rumination and depressive symptoms.

Task-based functional neuroimaging has revealed that rumination is associated with functional activations in the default mode network (DMN). The present study aimed to examine whether resting state functional connectivity (FC) within the DMN is associated with individual differences in trait rumination. Using the seed-based functional connectivity analysis in a relatively large sample of late adolescents, this study investigated the neural correlates of trait rumination and their associations with depressive symptoms.

The Box Interaction Game: Action-Based Divergent Thinking Tests for Chinese Preschoolers.

The current methodologies for assessing divergent thinking in children are predominantly based on verbal response, which limits their applicability for evaluating the creative potential of preschoolers and toddlers. This study introduces the Box Interaction Game (BIG), which is an adaptation of the Unusual Box Test (UBT) to make it more suitable for Chinese children. By simplifying, reorganizing, and expanding the actions in the UBT, the BIG employs action-based assessments that are relevant to the Chinese context and evaluate validity and test-retest reliability in preschoolers.

Flexible multi-wavelength interference multiplexing for inertia-free dynamic beam manipulation.

Dynamic optical beam manipulation is vital for advancing photonic technologies, including light detection and ranging (LiDAR), free-space optical wireless communication (OWC), three-dimensional imaging, and dynamic holography. Traditional non-mechanical beam-steering methods, such as optical phase arrays, spatial light modulators, and focal plane switch arrays, face challenges in scalability, fabrication complexity, and data transmission demands. This work introduces a framework for dynamic optical field design based on multi-wavelength interference, achieving precise spatiotemporal modulation.

Dispersion-engineered spin photonics based on folded-path metasurfaces.

Spin photonics revolutionizes photonic technology by enabling precise manipulation of photon spin states, with spin-decoupled metasurfaces emerging as pivotal in complex optical field manipulation. Here, we propose a folded-path metasurface concept that enables independent dispersion and phase control of two opposite spin states, effectively overcoming the limitations of spin photonics in achieving broadband decoupling and higher integration levels. This advanced dispersion engineering is achieved by modifying the equivalent length of a folded path, generated by a virtual reflective surface, in contrast to previous methods that depended on effective refractive index control by altering structural geometries.

Scaled transverse translation by planar optical elements for sub-pixel sampling and remote super-resolution imaging.

High resolution imaging represents a relentless pursuit within the field of optical system. Multi-frame super-resolution (SR) is an effective method for enhancing sampling density, while it heavily relies on sub-pixel scale displacement of a bulky camera. Based on the symmetric transformation of quadratic-phase metasurface, we propose scaled transverse translation (STT) utilizing planar optical elements (POEs) to facilitate sub-pixel sampling and remote super-resolution imaging.

Free-form catenary-inspired meta-couplers for ultra-high or broadband vertical coupling.

Metasurface-assisted waveguide couplers, or meta-couplers, innovatively link free-space optics with on-chip devices, offering flexibility for polarization and wavelength (de)multiplexing, mode-selective coupling, and guided mode manipulation. However, conventional meta-couplers still face challenges with low coupling efficiency and narrow bandwidth due to critical near-field coupling caused by waveguide constraints and unit-cell-based design approach, which cannot be accurately addressed using traditional design methods. In this paper, quasi-continuous dielectric catenary arrays are first employed to enhance efficiency and bandwidth by addressing adjacent coupling issues of discrete metasurface.

High-efficiency polarization beam merging metagrating design via global initial solution-based topology optimization.

Freeform metasurfaces based on topology optimization enable precise control over electromagnetic functionalities, with widespread applications in metagratings, metalenses, and polarization transformations. The selection of the initial structure plays a crucial role in determining the quality of the final optimization results. In this study, a global initial solution-based topology optimization (GISTO) is proposed to design a polarization beam merging metagrating efficiently.

Therapeutic potential of rutin in premenstrual depression: evidence from and studies.

Introduction: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a cyclical mood disorder that severely affects the daily life of women of reproductive age. Most of the medications being used clinically have limitations such as low efficacy, side effects, and high cost, so there is an urgent need to discover safer and more effective medications. Rutin is a natural flavonol glycoside with various pharmacological properties including antidepressant.

Risk factors for re-hospitalization within 90 days of discharge for severe influenza in children.

Background: Influenza virus is a contagious respiratory pathogen that can cause severe acute infections with long-term adverse outcomes. For paediatric patients at high risk of severe influenza, the readmission and the associated risk factors remain unclear.

Methods: Children discharged with a diagnosis of severe or critical influenza from October 2021 to March 2022 were included.

Misalignment tolerance enhancement of vector beams in a free-space optical communication link.

Optical misalignment between transmitter and receiver leads to power loss and mode crosstalk in a mode division multiplexing (MDM) free-space optical (FSO) link. We report both numerical simulations and experimental results on the propagation performance of two typical vector beams, C-point polarization full Poincaré beams (FPB), and V-point polarization cylindrical vector beams (CVB), compared to homogeneous polarization scalar vortex beams (SVB) under optical misalignment. The FSO communication performance under misalignment using different transmit beams is evaluated in terms of power loss, mode crosstalk, power penalty, etc.

640 Gbit/s FSO turbulence-resilient field trial utilizing the cylindrical vector beam.

Free-space optical (FSO) communication has the advantages of large bandwidth and high security and being license-free, making it the preferred solution for addressing the "last kilometer" of information transmission. However, it is susceptible to fluctuations in the received optical power (ROP) due to atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors, resulting in the inevitable free-space optical communication transmission performance degradation. In this work, we experimentally verified the turbulence resistance of the cylindrical vector beam (CVB) over a 3 km long free-space field trial link.

Longitudinally continuous varying high-order cylindrical vector fields enabled by spin-decoupled metasurfaces.

The manipulation of vector optical fields in three-dimensional (3D) space plays a vital role in both fundamental research and practical implementations of polarization optics. However, existing studies mostly focus on 3D vector optical fields with limited modes. Here, an approach of spin-decoupled spatial partitioning is proposed to generate complex 3D vector optical fields with a customizable number of modes on demand.

Dynamic nonlocal metasurface for multifunctional integration via phase-change materials.

Non-local metasurface supporting geometric phases at bound states in the continuum (BIC) simultaneously enables sharp spectral resonances and spatial wavefront shaping, thus providing a diversified optical platform for multifunctional devices. However, a static nonlocal metasurface cannot manipulate multiple degrees of freedom (DOFs), making it difficult to achieve multifunctional integration and be applied in different scenarios. Here, we presented and demonstrated phase-change non-local metasurfaces that can realize dynamic manipulation of multiple DOFs including resonant frequency, values, band, and spatial wavefront.

High-resolution non-line-of-sight imaging based on liquid crystal planar optical elements.

Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) imaging aims at recovering hidden objects located beyond the traditional line of sight, with potential applications in areas such as security monitoring, search and rescue, and autonomous driving. Conventionally, NLOS imaging requires raster scanning of laser pulses and collecting the reflected photons from a relay wall. High-time-resolution detectors obtain the flight time of photons undergoing multiple scattering for image reconstruction.

Jiajiejian gel ameliorates thyroid nodules through regulation of thyroid hormones and suppression of the (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β)/JAK2/STAT3/VEGF pathway.

Background: The high incidence of thyroid nodules and their rapid growth in recent years have become an important issue affecting public health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) external treatments have unique advantages in treating this disease, but the currently available external preparations are relatively few and the therapeutic mechanism is unclear. Jiajiejian gel (JJJG) is a TCM external preparation developed by our team for the thyroid nodule treatment, which has been preliminarily proven to be safe and effective in clinical practice.

Rapid fabrication of gold microsphere arrays with stable deep-pressing anisotropic conductivity for advanced packaging.

Smooth metal microspheres with uniform sizes are ideal for constructing particle-arrayed anisotropic conductive films (ACF), but synthesis is hindered by challenges in controlling anisotropic metal growth. Here, we present a positioned transient-emulsion self-assembly and laser-irradiation strategy to fabricate pure gold microsphere arrays with smooth surfaces and uniform sizes. The fabrication involves assembling gold nanoparticles into uniform colloidosomes within a pre-designed microhole array, followed by rapid transformation into well-defined microspheres through laser heating.

Monocular Metasurface for Structured Light Generation and 3D Imaging with a Large Field-of-View.

Structured light three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology captures the geometric information on 3D objects by recording waves reflected from the objects' surface. The projection angle and point number of the laser dots directly determine the field-of-view (FOV) and the resolution of the reconstructed image. Conventionally, diffractive optical elements with micrometer-scale pixel size have been used to generate laser dot arrays, leading to limited FOV and point number within the projection optical path.

Simultaneous Circular Dichroism and Wavefront Manipulation with Generalized Pancharatnam-Berry Phase Metasurfaces.

Simultaneous circular dichroism and wavefront manipulation have gained considerable attention in various applications, such as chiroptical spectroscopy, chiral imaging, sorting and detection of enantiomers, and quantum optics, which can improve the miniaturization and integration of the optical system. Typically, structures with n-fold rotational symmetry ( ≥ 3) are used to improve circular dichroism, as they induce stronger interactions between the electric and magnetic fields. However, manipulating the wavefront with these structures remains challenging because they are commonly considered isotropic and lack a geometric phase response in linear optics.

Structured-Light 3D Imaging Based on Vector Iterative Fourier Transform Algorithm.

Quasi-continuous-phase metasurfaces overcome the side effects imposed by high-order diffraction on imaging and can impart optical parameters such as amplitude, phase, polarization, and frequency to incident light at sub-wavelength scales with high efficiency. Structured-light three-dimensional (3D) imaging is a hot topic in the field of 3D imaging because of its advantages of low computation cost, high imaging accuracy, fast imaging speed, and cost-effectiveness. Structured-light 3D imaging requires uniform diffractive optical elements (DOEs), which could be realized by quasi-continuous-phase metasurfaces.

A comparative study of general and severe mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children.

Objectives: The increasing prevalence of severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (SMPP) poses a significant threat to the health of children. This study aimed to characterise and assess the outcomes in children with SMPP.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed children hospitalised for M.