Harnessing Geometric Frustration to Form Band Gaps in Acoustic Channel Lattices

We demonstrate both numerically and experimentally that geometric frustration in two-dimensional periodic acoustic networks consisting of arrays of narrow air channels can be harnessed to form band gaps (ranges of frequency in which the waves cannot propagate in any direction through the system). While resonant standing wave modes and interferences are ubiquitous in all the analyzed network geometries, we show that they give rise to band gaps only in the geometrically frustrated ones (i.e. those comprising of triangles and pentagons). Our results not only reveal a new mechanism based on geometric frustration to suppress the propagation of pressure waves in specific frequency ranges, but also opens avenues for the design of a new generation of smart systems that control and manipulate sound and vibrations

Prevalence and genetic diversity of rotavirus among children under 5 years of age in China: a meta-analysis

BackgroundThis meta-analysis was performed to assess the prevalence and circulating strains of rotavirus (RV) among Chinese children under 5 years of age after the implantation of the RV vaccine.Material and methodsStudies published between 2019 and 2023, focused on RV-based diarrhea among children less than 5 years were systematically reviewed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang and SinoMed Data. We synthesized their findings to examine prevalence and genetic diversity of RV after the RV vaccine implementation using a fixed-effects or random-effects model.ResultsSeventeen studies met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of RV was found to be 19.00%. The highest infection rate was noted in children aged 12-23months (25.79%), followed by those aged 24-35 months (23.91%), and 6-11 months (22.08%). The serotype G9 emerged as the most predominant RV genotype, accounting for 85.48% of infections, followed by G2 (7.70%), G8 (5.74%), G1 (4.86%), and G3 (3.21%). The most common P type was P[8], representing 64.02% of RV cases. Among G-P combinations, G9P[8] was the most frequent, responsible for 78.46% of RV infections, succeeded by G8P[8] (31.22%) and G3P[8] (8.11%).ConclusionDespite the variation of serotypes observed in China, the G1, G2, G3, G8 and G9 serotypes accounted for most RV strains. The genetic diversity analysis highlights the dynamic nature of RV genotypes, necessitating ongoing surveillance to monitor changes in strain distribution and inform future vaccine strategies

Highly anisotropic transient optical response of charge density wave order in ZrTe3_3

Low dimensionality in CDW systems leads to anisotropic optical properties, in both equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. Here we perform polarized two-color pump probe measurements on a quasi-1D material ZrTe$_3$, in order to study the anisotropic transient optical response in the CDW state. Profound in-plane anisotropy is observed with respect to polarization of probe photons. Below $T_\mathrm{CDW}$ both the quasi-particle relaxation signal and amplitude mode (AM) oscillation signal are much larger with $\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr}$ nearly parallel to $a$ axis ($\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr} \parallel a$) than for $\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr}$ parallel to $b$ axis ($\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr} \parallel b$). This reveals that $\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr} \parallel a$ signal is much more sensitive to the variation of the CDW gap. Interestingly, the lifetime of the AM oscillations observed with $\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr} \parallel b$ is longer than $\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr} \parallel a$. Moreover, at high pump fluence where the electronic order melts and the AM oscillations vanish for $\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr} \parallel a$ , the AM oscillatory response still persists for $\mathbf{E}_\mathrm{pr} \parallel b$. We discuss possible origins that lead to such unusual discrepancy between the two polarizations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Blockchain technologies empowering peer‐to‐peer trading in multi‐energy systems:From advanced technologies towards applications

In efforts to decarbonise electricity, transport, and heating sectors, policy makers facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources and demand side management in multi-energy systems. With the support of the smart grid, an increasing number of consumers start to produce, store, and consume energy using zero-carbon electricity and heating sources, for example, solar panels, electric vehicles, and air source heat pumps, giving them the new role of multi-energy prosumers. A flexible local energy market structure and intelligent operations of smart grid are crucial factors for accommodating the role of multi-energy prosumers. The blockchain technologies, for example, smart contracts and hypothetical technology, pave the path for the peer-to-peer (P2P) energy markets, which are open and accessible to prosumers with enhanced automation, security, and privacy. The state-of-the-art research and scientific innovations bring these advanced blockchain technologies towards applications into multi-energy systems. This special issue aims to solicit the innovative research on the blockchain empowering peer-to-peer trading in multi-energy systems. The scope of the research includes a single (multiple) energy vector(s) (e.g., electricity, gas, or heat), technologies (e.g., blockchain, smart contracts, or machine learning), theories (e.g., P2P trading mechanisms, pricing schemes, communication protocols, or consensus mechanisms) and applications (e.g., blockchain platforms or prosumer-centric energy scheduling)

Stability of Brans-Dicke thin shell wormholes

Recently, a class of spherically symmetric thin-shell wormholes in Brans-Dicke gravity have been introduced. Such wormholes can be supported by matter satisfying the weak energy condition (WEC). In this paper, we first obtain all the exact solutions satisfying the WEC. Then we show these solutions can be stable for certain parameters. A general requirement for stability is that $\beta^2>1$, which may imply that the speed of sound exceeds the speed of light.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Optical studies of structural phase transition in the vanadium-based kagome metal ScV6Sn6

In condensed matter physics, materials with kagome lattice exhibit exotic emergent quantum states, including charge density wave (CDW), superconductivity and magnetism. Very recently, hexagonal kagome metal ScV6Sn6 was found to undergo fascinating first-order structural phase transition at around 92 K and a 3x3x3 CDW modulation. The bulk electronic band properties are enlightened for comprehending the origin of the structural phase transition. Here, we perform a optical spectroscopy study on the monocrystalline compound across the transition temperature. The structural transition gives rise to the abrupt changes of optical spectra without observing gap development behavior. The optical measurements revealed a sudden reconstruction of the band structure after transition. We emphasize that the phase transition is of the first order and distinctly different from the conventional density-wave type condensation. Our results provide insight into the origin of the structural phase transition in the new kagome metal compound.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Pump-induced terahertz conductivity response and peculiar bound state in Mn3Si2Te6

We report the significant enhancement on ultrafast terahertz optical conductivity and the unexpected formation of a polaronic-like state in semiconductor Mn3Si2Te6 at room temperature. With the absorption of pump photons, the low-frequency terahertz photoconductivity spectrum exhibits a significant rise, quickly forming a broad peak and subsequently shifting to higher energy. The short-lived nature of the broad peak, as well as the distribution of optical constants, strongly points towards a transient polaron mechanism. Our study not only provides profound insights into the remarkable photoelectric response of Mn3Si2Te6 but also highlights its significant potential for future photoelectric applications

Strong nonlinear optical response and transient symmetry switching in Type-II Weyl semimetal β\beta-WP2

The topological Weyl semimetals with peculiar band structure exhibit novel nonlinear optical enhancement phenomena even for light at optical wavelengths. While many intriguing nonlinear optical effects were constantly uncovered in type-I semimetals, few experimental works focused on basic nonlinear optical properties in type-II Weyl semimetals. Here we perform a fundamental static and time-resolved second harmonic generation (SHG) on the three dimensional Type-II Weyl semimetal candidate $\beta$-WP$_2$. Although $\beta$-WP$_2$ exhibits extremely high conductivity and an extraordinarily large mean free path, the second harmonic generation is unscreened by conduction electrons, we observed rather strong SHG response compared to non-topological polar metals and archetypal ferroelectric insulators. Additionally, our time-resolved SHG experiment traces ultrafast symmetry switching and reveals that polar metal $\beta$-WP$_2$ tends to form inversion symmetric metastable state after photo-excitation. Intense femtosecond laser pulse could optically drive symmetry switching and tune nonlinear optical response on ultrafast timescales although the interlayer coupling of $\beta$-WP$_2$ is very strong. Our work is illuminating for the polar metal nonlinear optics and potential ultrafast topological optoelectronic applications.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Indoxyl Sulfate Induces Mesangial Cell Proliferation via the Induction of COX-2

Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is one of important uremic toxins and is markedly accumulated in the circulation of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, which might contribute to the damage of residual nephrons and progressive loss of residual renal function (RRF). Thus this study was undertaken to investigate the role of IS in modulating mesangial cell (MC) proliferation and the underlying mechanism. The proliferation of MCs induced by IS was determined by cell number counting, DNA synthase rate, and cell cycle phase analysis. COX-2 expression was examined by Western blotting and qRT-PCR, and a specific COX-2 inhibitor NS398 was applied to define its role in IS-induced MC proliferation. Following IS treatment, MCs exhibited increased total cell number, DNA synthesis rate, and number of cells in S and G2 phases paralleled with the upregulation of cyclin A2 and cyclin D1. Next, we found an inducible inflammation-related enzyme COX-2 was remarkably enhanced by IS, and the inhibition of COX-2 by NS398 significantly blocked IS-induced MC proliferation in line with a blockade of PGE2 production. These findings indicated that IS could induce MC proliferation via a COX-2-mediated mechanism, providing new insights into the understanding and therapies of progressive loss of RRF in ESRD

Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE), Life and Health

Light has profoundly impacted modern medicine and healthcare, with numerous luminescent agents and imaging techniques currently being used to assess health and treat diseases. As an emerging concept in luminescence, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has shown great potential in biological applications due to its advantages in terms of brightness, biocompatibility, photostability, and positive correlation with concentration. This review provides a comprehensive summary of AIE luminogens applied in imaging of biological structure and dynamic physiological processes, disease diagnosis and treatment, and detection and monitoring of specific analytes, followed by representative works. Discussions on critical issues and perspectives on future directions are also included. This review aims to stimulate the interest of researchers from different fields, including chemistry, biology, materials science, medicine, etc., thus promoting the development of AIE in the fields of life and health