Observation of Free-Boundary-Induced Chiral Anomaly Bulk States in Elastic Twisted Kagome Metamaterials.

Chiral anomaly bulk states (CABSs) can be realized by choosing appropriate boundary conditions in a finite-size waveguide composed of two-dimensional Dirac semimetals, which have unidirectional and robust transport similar to that of valley edge states. CABSs use almost all available guiding space, which greatly improves the utilization of metamaterials. Here, free-boundary-induced CABSs in elastic twisted kagome metamaterials with C_{3v} symmetry are experimentally confirmed. The robust valley-locked transport and complete valley state conversion are experimentally observed. Importantly, the sign of the group velocity near the K and K^{'} points can be reversed by suspending masses at the boundary to manipulate the onsite potential. Moreover, CABSs are demonstrated in nanoelectromechanical phononic crystals by constructing an impedance-mismatched hard boundary. These results open new possibilities for designing more compact, space-efficient, and robust elastic wave macro- and microfunctional devices.

Monolithic Strong Coupling of Topological Surface Acoustic Wave Resonators on Lithium Niobate.

Coherent phonon transfer via high-quality factor (Q) mechanical resonator strong coupling has garnered significant interest. Yet, the practical applications of these strongly coupled resonator devices are largely constrained by their vulnerability to fabrication defects. In this study, topological strong coupling of gigahertz frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators with lithium niobate is achieved. The nanoscale grooves are etched onto the lithium niobate surface to establish robust SAW topological interface states (TISs). By constructing phononic crystal (PnC) heterostructures, a strong coupling of two SAW TISs, achieving a maximum Rabi splitting of 22 MHz and frequency quality factor product fQm of ≈1.2 × 1013 Hz, is realized. This coupling can be tuned by adjusting geometric parameters and a distinct spectral anticrossing is experimentally observed. Furthermore, a dense wavelength division multiplexing device based on the coupling of multiple TISs is demonstrated. These findings open new avenues for the development of practical topological acoustic devices for on-chip sensing, filtering, phonon entanglement, and beyond.

Extended topological valley-locked surface acoustic waves.

Stable and efficient guided waves are essential for information transmission and processing. Recently, topological valley-contrasting materials in condensed matter systems have been revealed as promising infrastructures for guiding classical waves, for they can provide broadband, non-dispersive and reflection-free electromagnetic/mechanical wave transport with a high degree of freedom. In this work, by designing and manufacturing miniaturized phononic crystals on a semi-infinite substrate, we experimentally realized a valley-locked edge transport for surface acoustic waves (SAWs). Critically, original one-dimensional edge transports could be extended to quasi-two-dimensional ones by doping SAW Dirac "semimetal" layers at the boundaries. We demonstrate that SAWs in the extended topological valley-locked edges are robust against bending and wavelength-scaled defects. Also, this mechanism is configurable and robust depending on the doping, offering various on-chip acoustic manipulation, e.g., SAW routing, focusing, splitting, and converging, all flexible and high-flow. This work may promote future hybrid phononic circuits for acoustic information processing, sensing, and manipulation.

Critical couplings in topological-insulator waveguide-resonator systems observed in elastic waves.

Waveguides and resonators are core components in the large-scale integration of electronics, photonics and phononics, both in existing and future scenarios. In certain situations, there is critical coupling of the two components; i.e. no energy passes through the waveguide after the incoming wave couples into the resonator. The transmission spectral characteristics resulting from this phenomenon are highly advantageous for signal filtering, switching, multiplexing and sensing. In the present study, adopting an elastic-wave platform, we introduce topological insulator (TI), a remarkable achievement in condensed matter physics over the past decade, into a classical waveguide-ring-resonator configuration. Along with basic similarities with classical systems, a TI system has important differences and advantages, mostly owing to the spin-momentum locked transmission states at the TI boundaries. As an example, a two-port TI waveguide resonator can fundamentally eliminate upstream reflections while completely retaining useful transmission spectral characteristics, and maximize the energy in the resonator, with possible applications being novel signal processing, gyro/sensing, lasering, energy harvesting and intense wave-matter interactions, using phonons, photons or even electrons. The present work further enhances confidence in using topological protection for practical device performance and functionalities, especially considering the crucial advantage of introducing (pseudo)spins to existing conventional configurations. More in-depth research on advancing phononics/photonics, especially on-chip, is foreseen.

[Optimization of polysaccharide extraction from Hippocampus by deep neural network and Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology].

In this paper, the extraction rate of crude polysaccharides and the yield of polysaccharides from Hippocampus served as test indicators. The comprehensive evaluation indicators were assigned by the R language combined with the entropy weight method. The Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology(BBD-RSM) and the deep neural network(DNN) were employed to screen the optimal parameters for the polysaccharide extraction from Hippocampus. These two modeling methods were compared and verified experimentally for the process optimization. This study provides a reference for the industrialization of effective component extraction from Chinese medicinals and achieves the effective combination of modern technology and traditional Chinese medicine.

[Correlation of reproductive hormone levels and seminal plasma oxidative stress with semen quality in obese males].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of the levels of reproductive hormones and oxidative stress in the seminal plasma with semen parameters in obese males. METHODS: Based on the body mass index (BMI), we divided 138 infertile men into three groups: normal (BMI <24 kg/m2, n = 48), overweight (24 kg/m2≤BMI<28 kg/m2, n = 47), and obesity (BMI ≥28 kg/m2, n = 43). We determined the concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotropic hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) in the serum by electrochemiluminescence and measured the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the seminal plasma by ELISA, compared the above indexes among the three groups, and analyzed their correlation with the semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, and percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS). RESULTS: The semen volume was significantly lower in the obesity than in the normal group (ï¼»2.63 ± 0.74ï¼½ vs ï¼»3.37 ± 1.00ï¼½ ml, P < 0.05), and so was the percentage of PMS in the overweight and even lower in the obesity than in the normal group (ï¼»47.91 ± 12.89ï¼½ and ï¼»41.27 ± 15.77ï¼½ vs ï¼»54.04 ± 13.29ï¼½%, P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group, both the overweight and obesity groups showed markedly decreased levels of serum T (ï¼»4.83 ± 1.42ï¼½ vs ï¼»3.71 ± 1.22ï¼½ and ï¼»3.49 ± 1.12ï¼½ ng/ml, P<0.05), T/LH ratio (1.53 ± 0.57 vs 1.19 ± 0.54 and 0.97 ± 0.51, P<0.05), SOD (ï¼»112.05 ± 10.54ï¼½ vs ï¼»105.85 ± 6.93ï¼½ and ï¼»99.33 ± 8.39ï¼½ U/ml, P<0.05), and GSTs (ï¼»31.75±6.03ï¼½ vs ï¼»29.54±5.78ï¼½ and ï¼»29.02±4.52ï¼½ U/L, P<0.05), but remarkably increased seminal plasma ROS (ï¼»549.93±82.41ï¼½ vs ï¼»620.61±96.13ï¼½ and ï¼»701.47±110.60ï¼½ IU/ml, P<0.05) and MDA (ï¼»7.46 ± 2.13ï¼½ vs ï¼»8.72 ± 1.89ï¼½ and ï¼»10.47 ± 2.10ï¼½ nmol/L, P<0.05). BMI was correlated positively with ROS and MDA, but negatively with the semen volume, PMS, T, T/LH, SOD and GSTs (P<0.05); LH negatively with sperm concentration, total sperm count and GSTs (P<0.05); PRL negatively GSTs (P<0.05); E2 positively with SOD (P<0.05); T positively with SOD (P<0.05) but negatively with MDA (P<0.05); T/LH positively with PMS and SOD (P<0.05) but negatively with ROS and MDA (P<0.05); SOD positively with semen volume, PMS and GSTs (P<0.05) but negatively with ROS and MDA (P<0.05); GSTs negatively with sperm concentration; total sperm count and MDA (P<0.05); ROS positively with MDA (P<0.01) but negatively with PMS (P<0.05); and MDA negatively with semen volume (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the independent factors influencing the semen volume were BMI and GSTs, those influencing the total sperm count were BMI and T, and those influencing PMS were BMI and MDA. CONCLUSIONS: Increased BMI induces changes in the levels of male reproductive hormones and seminal plasma oxidative stress and affects semen quality, which may be associated with male infertility.

[Hyperuricemia reduces semen parameters in infertile men].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of hyperuricemia (HUA) on semen quality in infertile men. METHODS: Based on the level of fasting serum uric acid (SUA ≥420 µmol/L), 402 infertile men were divided into a normal SUA group (n = 304) and an HUA group (n = 98), and also into four age groups: 20－24, 25－29, 30－34, and 35－44 years old. Semen parameters were obtained from the patients by computer-assisted semen analysis and the levels of SUA determined by chemical colorimetry. RESULTS: The mean semen volume was significantly lower in the HUA than in the normal SUA group (2.40 vs 2.80 ml, P < 0.05), and so was the total sperm count (120.51 vs 187.21 ×106, P < 0.05). The mean semen volume was remarkably lower in the 25－29 and 30－34 years old patients with HUA than in those with normal SUA (2.40 and 2.55 ml vs 2.85 and 2.90 ml, P < 0.05), and so was the total sperm count in the 30－34 years old patients with HUA than in those with normal SUA (109.69 vs 192.91 ×106, P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the level of SUA was negatively correlated with the semen volume (r = －0.193, P < 0.05) and total sperm count of the patients (r = －0.163, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperuricemia significantly reduces the semen volume and total sperm count of infertile men, and the level of serum uric acid is closely related with semen quality.

[Correlation of semen parameters with inflammatory factors in the seminal plasma of obese males].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of inflammatory factors on semen parameters in the seminal plasma of obese men. METHODS: Based on the body mass index (BMI), 171 males were divided into a normal group (BMI < 24 kg/m2, n = 59), an overweight group (24 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2, n = 54), and an obesity group (BMI =≥ 28 kg/m2, n = 58). The routine semen parameters of the subjects were obtained by computer-assisted semen analysis, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and VEGF in the seminal plasma were measured by ELISA, and the correlation of BMI with the above indexes was analyzed. RESULTS: Sperm concentration was significantly decreased in the obesity group in comparison with the normal and overweight groups (ï¼»40.19 ± 24.05ï¼½ vs ï¼»66.54 ± 34.81ï¼½ and ï¼»57.73 ± 24.61ï¼½ ×106/ml, P <0.01), and so was the total number of sperm (ï¼»110.22 ± 75.44ï¼½ vs ï¼»200.75 ± 102.66ï¼½ and ï¼»157.46 ± 112.89ï¼½ ×106, P <0.01) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (ï¼»30.80 ± 15.56ï¼½ vs ï¼»50.75 ± 10.17ï¼½ and ï¼»39.71 ± 9.73ï¼½%, P <0.01). The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the seminal plasma were markedly elevated in the obesity group as compared with the normal and overweight groups (ï¼»76.90 ± 14.64ï¼½ vs ï¼»64.47 ± 11.92ï¼½ and ï¼»69.74 ± 12.32ï¼½ pg/ml, P <0.05; ï¼»54.17 ± 17.81ï¼½ vs ï¼»39.26 ± 9.09ï¼½ and ï¼»46.25 ± 13.66ï¼½ pg/ml, P <0.01), while that of VEGF remarkably reduced in the former group in comparison with the latter two (ï¼»154.24 ± 30.23ï¼½ vs ï¼»199.23 ± 36.28ï¼½ and ï¼»181.57 ± 34.41ï¼½ pg/ml, P <0.01). The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and VEGF were significantly correlated with BMI (r = 0.254, 0.321 and －0.407, P <0.01), those of TNF-α and IL-6 negatively with the percentage of PMS (r =－0.163, P <0.05; r = －0.333, P <0.01). There was a positive correlation between TNF-α and IL-6 (r = 0.468, P <0.01), a negative correlation between IL-6 and VEGF (r = 0.177, P <0.05), but no correlation between TNF-α and VEGF (r = 0.058, P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 are increased and that of VEGF decreased in the seminal plasma of obese males, which may affect the semen quality.

Cytotoxicity and genome-wide microarray analysis of intestinal smooth muscle cells in response to hexavalent chromium induction.

Chronic ingestion of high concentrations of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in drinking water induces intestinal tumors in mice; however, information on its toxicity on intestinal smooth muscle cells is limited. The present study aimed to assess the in vitro and in vivo toxicological effects of Cr(VI) on intestinal smooth muscle cells. Human intestinal smooth muscle cells (HISM cells) were cultured with different concentrations of Cr(VI) to evaluate effects on cell proliferation ability, oxidative stress levels, and antioxidant system. Furthermore, tissue sections in Cr(VI) exposed rabbits were analyzed to evaluate toxicity on intestinal muscle cells in vivo. Gene chips were utilized to assess differential gene expression profiles at the genome-wide level in 1 µmol/L Cr(VI) treated cells. Intestinal tissue biopsy results showed that Cr(VI) increased the incidences of diffuse epithelial hyperplasia in intestinal jejunum but caused no obvious damage to the structure of the muscularis. Cell proliferation analysis revealed that high concentrations (≥64 µmol/L) but not low concentrations of Cr(VI) (≤16 µmol/L) significantly inhibited the growth of HISM cells. For oxidative stress levels, the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) was elevated at high concentrations (≥64 µmol/L) but not at low concentrations of Cr(VI) (≤16 µmol/L). In addition, dose-dependent increases in the activity of oxidized glutathione (GSSH)/total-glutathione (T-GSH) were also observed. Gene chip screened 491 differentially expressed genes including genes associated with cell apoptosis, oxidations, and cytoskeletons. Some of these differentially expressed genes may be unique to smooth muscle cells in response to Cr(VI) induction.

Random composites of nickel networks supported by porous alumina toward double negative materials.

Random composites with nickel networks hosted randomly in porous alumina are proposed to realize double negative materials. The random composite for DNMs (RC-DNMs) can be prepared by typical processing of material, which makes it possible to explore new DNMs and potential applications, and to feasibly tune their electromagnetic parameters by controlling their composition and microstructure. Hopefully, various new RC-DNMs with improved performance will be proposed in the future.

Right hepatic arterial pseudoaneurysm with hemobilia following minilaparotomy cholecystectomy: a rare complication.

Hepatic arterial pseudoaneurysm with hemobilia occurs less frequently as a complication of minilaparotomy cholecystectomy than laparoscopic cholecystectomy; however, given its severe nature, it needs to be managed promptly. This report presents a case of right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm with hemobilia in a 36-year-old woman who underwent minilaparotomy cholecystectomy 5 weeks earlier. Angiography with embolization was carried out as definitive treatment.