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Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is a unique research topic and property that can lead to a wide range of applications, including cellular imaging, theranostics, analyte quantitation and the specific detection of biologically important species. Towards the development of the AIE-active materials, many aromatic moieties composed of tetraphenylethylene, anthracene, pyrene, etc., have been developed. Among these aromatic moieties, pyrene is an aromatic hydrocarbon with a polycyclic flat structure containing four fused benzene rings to provide an unusual electron delocalization feature that is important in the AIE property. Numerous pyrene-based AIE-active materials have been reported with the AIE property towards sensing, imaging and theranostics applications. Most importantly, these AIE-active pyrene moieties exist as small molecules, Schiff bases, polymers, supramolecules, metal-organic frameworks, etc. This comprehensive review outlines utilizations of AIE-active pyrene-based materials on the imaging and theranostics studies. Moreover, the design and synthesis of these pyrene-based molecules are delivered with discussions on their future scopes.

A bstract We study the behavior of fermion spectral functions for the holographic topological Weyl and nodal line semimetals. We calculate the topological invariants from the Green functions of both holographic semimetals using the topological Hamiltonian method, which calculates topological invariants of strongly interacting systems from an effective Hamiltonian system with the same topological structure. Nontrivial topological invariants for both systems have been obtained and the presence of nontrivial topological invariants further supports the topological nature of the holographic semimetals.

A bstract We show a holographic model of a strongly coupled topological nodal line semimetal (NLSM) and find that the NLSM phase could go through a quantum phase transition to a topologically trivial state. The dual fermion spectral function shows that there are multiple Fermi surfaces each of which is a closed nodal loop in the NLSM phase. The topological structure in the bulk is induced by the IR interplay between the dual mass operator and the operator that deforms the topology of the Fermi surface. We propose a practical framework for building various strongly coupled topological semimetals in holography, which indicates that at strong coupling topologically nontrivial semimetal states generally exist.

Primordial follicle assembly in the mouse occurs during perinatal ages and largely determines the ovarian reserve that will be available to support the reproductive life span. The development of primordial follicles is controlled by a complex network of interactions between oocytes and ovarian somatic cells that remain poorly understood. In the present research, using single-cell RNA sequencing performed over a time series on murine ovaries, coupled with several bioinformatics analyses, the complete dynamic genetic programs of germ and granulosa cells from E16.5 to postnatal day (PD) 3 were reported. Along with confirming the previously reported expression of genes by germ cells and granulosa cells, our analyses identified 5 distinct cell clusters associated with germ cells and 6 with granulosa cells. Consequently, several new genes expressed at significant levels at each investigated stage were assigned. By building single-cell pseudotemporal trajectories, 3 states and 1 branch point of fate transition for the germ cells were revealed, as well as for the granulosa cells. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment enabled identification of the biological process most represented in germ cells and granulosa cells or common to both cell types at each specific stage, and the interactions of germ cells and granulosa cells basing on known and novel pathway were presented. Finally, by using single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC) algorithm, we were able to establish a network of regulons that can be postulated as likely candidates for sustaining germ cell-specific transcription programs throughout the period of investigation. Above all, this study provides the whole transcriptome landscape of ovarian cells and unearths new insights during primordial follicle assembly in mice.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is one of common and serious sequelae of stroke. Approximately, one in three stroke survivors suffered from depression after stroke. It heavily affected functional rehabilitation, which leaded to poor quality of life. What is worse, it is strongly associated with high mortality. In this review, we aimed to derive a comprehensive and integrated understanding of PSD according to recently published papers and previous classic articles. Based on the considerable number of studies, we found that within 2 years incidence of PSD has a range from 11 to 41%. Many factors contribute to the occurrence of PSD, including the history of depression, stroke severity, lesion location, and so on. Currently, the diagnosis of PSD is mainly based on the DSM guidelines and combined with various depression scales. Unfortunately, we lack a unified mechanism to explain PSD which mechanisms now involve dysregulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, increased inflammatory factors, decreased levels of monoamines, glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, and abnormal neurotrophic response. At present, both pharmacotherapy and psychological therapies are employed in treating PSD. Although great advance has been made by researchers, there are still a lot of issues need to be addressed. Especially, the mechanism of PSD is not completely clear.

Alterations in energy metabolism are associated with depression. However, the role of glycolysis in the pathogenesis of depression and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unexplored. Through an unbiased proteomic screen coupled with biochemical verifications, we show that the levels of glycolysis and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), a glycolytic enzyme that catalyzes L-lactate production, are reduced in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) of stress-susceptible mice in chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model. Conditional knockout of LDHA from the brain promotes depressive-like behaviors in both male and female mice, accompanied with reduced L-lactate levels and decreased neuronal excitability in the dmPFC. Moreover, these phenotypes could be duplicated by knockdown of LDHA in the dmPFC or specifically in astrocytes. In contrast, overexpression of LDHA reverses these phenotypic changes in CSDS-susceptible mice. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that L-lactate promotes neuronal excitability through monocarboxylic acid transporter 2 (MCT2) and by inhibiting large-conductance Ca 2+ -activated potassium (BK) channel. Together, these results reveal a role of LDHA in maintaining neuronal excitability to prevent depressive-like behaviors. The role of glycolysis in depression is unclear. Here the authors report a glycolytic deficit under social stress and demonstrate that astrocytic LDHA affects neuronal excitability and depressive-like behaviours via lactate homeostasis in mice.

A bstract We investigate the properties of pole-skipping of the sound channel in which the translational symmetry is broken explicitly or spontaneously. For this purpose, we analyze, in detail, not only the holographic axion model, but also the magnetically charged black holes with two methods: the near-horizon analysis and quasi-normal mode computations. We find that the pole-skipping points are related with the chaotic properties, Lyapunov exponent ( λ L ) and butterfly velocity ( v B ), independently of the symmetry breaking patterns. We show that the diffusion constant ( D ) is bounded by D ≥ v B 2 / λ L , where D is the energy diffusion (crystal diffusion) bound for explicit (spontaneous) symmetry breaking. We confirm that the lower bound is obtained by the pole-skipping analysis in the low temperature limit.

The canonical limitations on stūpa burial for ordinary monks and prohibitions on non-Buddhist stūpas underwent significant changes in medieval China. A key question emerges when considering how the use of stūpas expanded beyond honoring the Buddha and saints to include lay individuals. People’s interpretation of stūpas—whether they were clergy or lay followers—varied based on their distinct social contexts, living circumstances, and religious beliefs. This article examines lay participation in the stūpa forest at Mount Zhongnan in Chang’an during the seventh and eighth centuries, drawing primarily on inscriptions evidence. By reassessing funerary stūpas erected for laypeople at Mount Zhongnan, this article calls for a reconsideration of the traditional sectarian view of lay-oriented funeral rituals. Even within the laity, motivations for constructing funerary stūpas differed. For some lay Buddhists, the Three Stages teachings influenced their burial practices, while for others without a direct connection to this community, stūpa burials were often more personal, centered on family commemoration. This study highlights the interplay between religious rituals and social structures, as evidenced by the historical and cultural significance of specific material culture.

Non-reciprocal devices, which allow non-reciprocal signal routing, serve as fundamental elements in photonic and microwave circuits and are crucial in both classical and quantum information processing. The radiation-pressure-induced coupling between light and mechanical motion in travelling-wave resonators has been exploited to break the Lorentz reciprocity, enabling non-reciprocal devices without magnetic materials. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a reconfigurable non-reciprocal device with alternative functions as either a circulator or a directional amplifier via optomechanically induced coherent photon–phonon conversion or gain. The demonstrated device exhibits considerable flexibility and offers exciting opportunities for combining reconfigurability, non-reciprocity and active properties in single photonic devices, which can also be generalized to microwave and acoustic circuits. Upconversion nanoparticles, which convert lower-energy light into higher-energy light, have many potential applications including sensing and imaging. Here, Wen et al. review recent advances that have addressed concentration quenching and enabled increasingly bright nanoparticles, opening up their full potential.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the colour stabilities of three types of orthodontic clear aligners exposed to staining agents in vitro. Sixty clear orthodontic aligners produced by three manufacturers （Invisalign, Angelalign, and Smartee） were immersed in three staining solutions （coffee, black tea, and red wine） and one control solution （distilled water）. After 12-h and 7-day immersions, the aligners were washed in an ultrasonic cleaner and measured with a colourimeter. The colour changes （△E＊） were calculated on the basis of the Commission Internationale de I＇Eclairage L＊a＊b＊ colour system （CIE L＊a＊b＊）, and the results were then converted into National Bureau of Standards （NBS） units. Fourier transformation infrared （FT-IR） spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） were conducted to observe the molecular and morphologic alterations to the aligner surfaces, respectively. The three types of aligners exhibited slight colour changes after 12 h of staining, with the exception of the Invisalign aligners stained with coffee. The Invisalign aligners exhibited significantly higher AE＊ values （ranging from 0.30 to 27.81） than those of the Angelalign and Smartee aligners （AE＊ values ranging from 0.33 to 1.89 and 0.32 to 1.61, respectively, P〈O.05）. IFT-IR analysis confirmed that the polymer-based structure of aligners did not exhibit significant chemical differences before and after the immersions. The SEM results revealed different surface alterations to the three types of aligner materials after the 7-day staining. The three types of aesthetic orthodontic appliances exhibited colour stability after the 12-h immersion, with the exception of the Invisalign aligners stained by coffee. The Invisalign aligners were more prone than the Angelalign and Smartee aligners to pigmentation. Aligner materials may be improved by considering aesthetic colour stability properties.