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Controlling topological phases of light allows the observation of abundant topological phenomena and the development of robust photonic devices. The prospect of more sophisticated control with topological photonic devices for practical implementations requires high-level programmability. Here we demonstrate a fully programmable topological photonic chip with large-scale integration of silicon photonic nanocircuits and microresonators. Photonic artificial atoms and their interactions in our compound system can be individually addressed and controlled, allowing the arbitrary adjustment of structural parameters and geometrical configurations for the observation of dynamic topological phase transitions and diverse photonic topological insulators. Individual programming of artificial atoms on the generic chip enables the comprehensive statistical characterization of topological robustness against relatively weak disorders, and counterintuitive topological Anderson phase transitions induced by strong disorders. This generic topological photonic chip can be rapidly reprogrammed to implement multifunctionalities, providing a flexible and versatile platform for applications across fundamental science and topological technologies. The authors demonstrate a programmable topological photonic chip with large-scale integration of silicon photonic nanocircuits and microresonators that can be rapidly reprogrammed to implement diverse multifunctionalities.

The era of Big Data requires nanophotonic chips to have large information processing capacity. Multiple frequency on-chip nanophotonic devices are highly desirable for density integration, but such devices are more susceptible to structural imperfection because of their nano-scale. Topological photonics provides a robust platform for next-generation nanophotonic chips. Here we give an experimental report of an on-chip nanophotonic topological rainbow realized by employing a translational deformation freedom as a synthetic dimension. The topological rainbow can separate, slow, and trap topological photonic states of different frequencies into different positions. A homemade scattering scanning near-field optical microscope with high resolution is introduced to directly measure the topological rainbow effect of the silicon-based photonic chip. The topological rainbow based on synthetic dimension have no restrictions for optical lattice types, symmetries, materials, wavelength band, and is easy for on-chip integration. This work builds a bridge between silicon chip technologies and topological photonics. Here the authors provide the experimental observation of a topological rainbow in a silicon-based nanophotonic chip. The system is robust against disorders allows to separate and trap topological photonic states of different wavelength into different positions.

Studies have explored the relationship between social class and health for decades. However, the underlying mechanism between the two remains not fully understood. This study aimed to explore whether health self-management had a mediating role between social class and health under the framework of Socio-cultural Self Model. 663 adults, randomly sampled from six communities in Southwest China, completed the survey for this study. Social class was assessed using individuals' income, education, occupation. Health self-management was assessed through evaluation of the health self-management behavior, health self-management cognition, health self-management environment. Physical health and mental health were measured by the Chinese version of Short-Form (36-item) Health Survey, which contains Physical Functioning, Role-Physical, Role-Emotional, Vitality, Mental Health, Social Function, Bodily Pain and General Health. Pearson's correlation was used to examine the associations between major variables. Mediation analyses were performed to explore the mediating role of health self-management. Social class positively predicted self-rated health. The lower the social class, the lower the self-reported physical and mental health. Health self-management partially mediated the relationship between social class and self-rated health. That is, the health self-management ability of the lower class, such as access to healthy and nutritious food and evaluate their own health status, is worse than that of the higher class, which leads to physical and mental health inequality between the high and the low classes. Health self-management mediated the relationship between social class and health. Promoting health self-management abilities are conducive to improving both physical and mental health.

Optical polarizers are essential components for the selection and manipulation of light polarization states in optical systems. Over the past decade, the rapid advancement of photonic technologies and devices has led to the development of a range of novel optical polarizers, opening avenues for many breakthroughs and expanding applications across diverse fields. Particularly, two-dimensional (2D) materials, known for their atomic thin film structures and unique optical properties, have become attractive for implementing optical polarizers with high performance and new features that were not achievable before. This paper reviews recent progress in 2D-material-based optical polarizers. First, an overview of key properties of various 2D materials for realizing optical polarizers is provided. Next, the state-of-the-art optical polarizers based on 2D materials, which are categorized into spatial-light devices, fiber devices, and integrated waveguide devices, are reviewed and compared. Finally, we discuss the current challenges of this field as well as the exciting opportunities for future technological advances.

Background: Previous studies have examined the association between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior, but the underlying mechanism between them is unclear. The present study aimed to examine the serially mediating roles of community identity and perceived control in this relationship. Methods: Using the convenient sampling technique, a total of 477 Chinese adults from Chinese communities, and ranging in age from 20 to 65 completed the questionnaires for objective socioeconomic status, the MacArthur scale of subjective socioeconomic status, an eight-item community identity scale, the perceived control scale, and a prosocial tendencies measure. Bivariate correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to examine the relationships among the major variables. Results: Socioeconomic status was positively associated with prosocial behavior. It was also found that community identity and perceived control played mediating roles between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior, respectively. In addition, community identity and perceived control also had a serially mediating role in the relationship. Conclusions: Community identity and perceived control played a serially mediating role in the association between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior. The findings in the present study contribute to understanding the underlying mechanism in the association between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior among adults, and have important implications for interventions aimed at improving prosocial behavior in lower-status individuals.

Background Molecular subtyping is expected to enable precise treatment. However, reliable subtyping strategies for clinical application remains defective and controversial. Given the significance of tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE), we aimed to develop a novel TIDE-based subtyping strategy to guide personalized immunotherapy in the bladder cancer (BC). Methods Transcriptome data of BC was used to evaluate the heterogeneity and the status of TIDE patterns. Subsequently, consensus clustering was applied to classify BC patients based on TIDE marker-genes. Patients’ clinicopathological, molecular features and signaling pathways of the different TIDE subtypes were well characterized. We also utilize the deconvolution algorithms to analyze the tumor microenvironment, and further explore the sensitivity and mechanisms of each subtype to immunotherapy. Furthermore, BC patient clinical information, real-world BC samples and urine samples were collected for the validation of our findings, which were used for RNA-seq analysis, H&E staining, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Finally, we also explored the conservation of our novel TIDE subtypes in pan-cancers. Results We identified 69 TIDE biomarker genes and classified BC samples into three subtypes using consensus clustering. Subtype I showed the lowest TIDE status and malignancy with the best prognosis and highest sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment, which was enriched of metabolic related signaling pathways. Subtype III represented the highest TIDE status and malignancy with the poorest prognosis and resistance to ICB treatment, resulting from its inhibitory immune microenvironment and T cell terminal exhaustion. Subtype II was in a transitional state with intermediate TIDE level, malignancy, and prognosis. We further confirmed the existence and characteristics of our novel TIDE subtypes using real-world BC samples and collected patient clinical data. This subtyping method was proved to be more efficient than previous known methods in identifying non-responders to immunotherapy. We also propose that combining our TIDE subtypes with known biomarkers can potentially improve the sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers. Moreover, besides guiding ICB treatment, this classification approach can assist in selecting the frontline or recommended drugs. Finally, we confirmed that the TIDE subtypes are conserved across the pan-tumors. Conclusions Our novel TIDE-based subtyping method can serve as a powerful clinical tool for BC and pan-cancer patients, and potentially guiding personalized therapy decisions for selecting potential beneficiaries and excluding resistant patients of ICB therapy.

Photonic spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is related to Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase, which is usually imposed on the cross-polarized components of light incident on a metasurface in broadband manner. However, metasurfaces exhibiting exceptional points (EPs) can block the cross-polarization conversion channel, hinting at the possibility of EPs influencing SOI. Here, we demonstrate that the accumulation of PB phase is equivalent to the encircling of an EP, leading to topologically reconstructed PB phase. Through spin-Hall effect and spin-to-vortex conversion, we experimentally realize chiral SOI steering within chosen spectral ranges and polarization, showing suppression, inversion and doubling of the PB phase accumulated via rotation. Our work introduces the possibility to control SOIs via a topologically reconstructed PB phase, offering promising possibilities for applications such as information encryption. Spin-orbit interactions (SOIs) of light are governed by Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase and commonly act on cross-polarized components of an electric field. Here, authors show that, in non-Hermitian metasurfaces, encircling an exceptional point can suppress, invert or double the PB phase accumulated with rotations, steering SOIs.

Most patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have an impaired response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Few biomarkers can predict responsiveness, and there is insufficient evidence to extend them to ccRCC clinical use. To explore subtypes and signatures of immunocytes with good predictive performance for ICB outcomes in the ccRCC context, we reanalyzed two ccRCC single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets from patients receiving ICB treatment. A subtype of proliferative CD4 + T cells and regulatory T cells and a subtype of antigen-presenting monocytes that have good predictive capability and are correlated with ICB outcomes were identified. These findings were corroborated in independent ccRCC ICB pretreatment bulk RNA-seq datasets. By incorporating the cluster-specific marker genes of these three immunocyte subtypes, we developed a prediction model, which reached an AUC of 93% for the CheckMate cohort (172 samples). Our study shows that the ICB response prediction model can serve as a valuable clinical decision-making tool for guiding ICB treatment of ccRCC patients.

Plasma photonic crystal (PPC) offers a promising platform for the dynamic control of microwaves and terahertz waves. However, it remains a challenge for creating PPCs allowing for flexible control over their geometric configurations. Here we demonstrate an efficient method for realizing a dynamic control of structural units in PPCs using dielectric barrier discharges. Three tuning strategies are proposed: (i) modulating the structure of sub-lattice within the unit cell, (ii) varying the number of scattering elements within the unit cell, and (iii) tailoring the geometry of scattering elements, which lead to three key functionalities including bandwidth broadening, frequency band shifting, and tunable valley-topological edge states, respectively. Moreover, three distinct discharge stages of PPCs are observed using fast camera diagnostics. A phenomenological reaction-diffusion model with spatial modulations is developed to demonstrate the reconfiguration mechanism of various PPCs. Experimental observations agree well with the numerical simulations. Our method introduces an additional geometric degree of freedom for PPC control, offering benefits in terms of rapid response, enhanced flexibility, and low-cost fabrication.

Topological photonics offers immense potential for applications in integrated photonic devices and information processing chips. Aubry–André–Harper model provides a platform for exploring new physics and practical applications. However, the on-chip integration of an ultracompact Aubry–André–Harper plasmonic topological insulator has encountered two limitations: the strict precision requirements for coupling parameters during sample preparation and the presence of hotspots in the nanogaps between plasmonic nanostructures, which impede direct near-field measurements. In this work, we propose a novel approach to address these challenges by integrating gold nanodisks with connecting waveguides. The topological properties of the Aubry–André–Harper configuration are directly characterized using photoemission electron microscopy. Connecting gold nanodisks with short gold waveguides of varying widths ensures compliance with the stringent precision requirements for sample nanofabrication and minimizes the impact of plasmon hotspots. We also successfully excite nanodisks in odd or even positions of trivial staggered nanochains by using incident left- or right-circularly polarized light. This approach effectively enables polarization-multiplexing control, offering a promising method for further manipulating and refining plasmonic nanochains and their potential applications. This work provides direct in-situ measurements of topological states at the nanoscale, advancing the foundational research and practical applications of controlling synthetic dimensions in integrated plasmonic topological photonics. The authors propose an approach to study integrated plasmonic topological Harper nanochains by connecting gold nanodisks with short gold waveguides of varying widths, which are directly characterized using photoemission electron microscopy.