Wide field-of-hearing metalens for aberration-free sound capture.

Metalenses are instruments that manipulate waves and have exhibited remarkable capabilities to date. However, an important hurdle arises due to the severe hampering of the angular response originating from coma and field curvature aberrations, which result in a loss of focusing ability. Herein, we provide a blueprint by introducing the notion of a wide field-of-hearing (FOH) metalens, designed particularly for capturing and focusing sound with decreased aberrations.

Regional bias of tumor suppressor gene mutations of STARD8 and WNK2 in colon cancers.

StAR-related lipid transfer domain protein 8 (STARD8), encoding a Rho-GTPase-activating protein, and WNK2, encoding a serine/threonine kinase are candidate tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) in human cancers. Inactivation of these genes that would promote cancer pathogenesis is largely unknown in colon cancer (CC). Our study addressed to address whether STARD8 and WNK2 genes are mutated in CC.

Single-cell profiling identifies distinct hormonal, immunologic, and inflammatory signatures of endometriosis-constituting cells.

Endometriosis consists of ectopic endometrial epithelial cells (EEECs) and ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs) mixed with heterogeneous stromal cells. To address how endometriosis-constituting cells are different from normal endometrium and among endometriosis subtypes and how their molecular signatures are related to phenotypic manifestations, we analyzed ovarian endometrial cyst (OEC), superficial peritoneal endometriosis (SPE), and deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) from 12 patients using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq). We identified 11 cell clusters, including EEEC, EESC, fibroblasts, inflammatory/immune, endothelial, mesothelial, and Schwann cells.

Leprosy-specific subsets of macrophages and Schwann cells identified by single-cell RNA-sequencing.

In Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae)-infection, inflammatory cells' subsets and dynamics as well as the interactions with Schwann cells have remained elusive. We investigated individual cells in M.

Recent advancements of metalenses for functional imaging.

Metasurfaces can modulate light with periodically arranged subwavelength scatterers, and they can generate arbitrary wavefronts. Therefore, they can be used to realize various optical components. In particular, metasurfaces can be used to realize lenses, so-called metalenses.

Scalable manufacturing of high-index atomic layer-polymer hybrid metasurfaces for metaphotonics in the visible.

Metalenses are attractive alternatives to conventional bulky refractive lenses owing to their superior light-modulating performance and sub-micrometre-scale thicknesses; however, limitations in existing fabrication techniques, including high cost, low throughput and small patterning area, have hindered their mass production. Here we demonstrate low-cost and high-throughput mass production of large-aperture visible metalenses using deep-ultraviolet argon fluoride immersion lithography and wafer-scale nanoimprint lithography. Once a 12″ master stamp is imprinted, hundreds of centimetre-scale metalenses can be fabricated using a thinly coated high-index film to enhance light confinement, resulting in a substantial increase in conversion efficiency.

Concurrent inactivating mutations and expression losses of RGS2, HNF1A, and CAPN12 candidate tumor suppressor genes in colon cancers.

Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC) is different from microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC concerning biological, and clinical features. In MSI-H CRCs, defects of mismatch repair genes produce increased mutation accumulation in repetitive DNA sequences. To see whether candidate tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are altered in MSI-H CRC, we studied frameshift mutation and protein expression of candidate TSGs of RGS2, HNF1A, HNF1B, CAPN12, RCBTB2, ATE1, PKNOX1, and USP19.

Metasurface-driven full-space structured light for three-dimensional imaging.

Structured light (SL)-based depth-sensing technology illuminates the objects with an array of dots, and backscattered light is monitored to extract three-dimensional information. Conventionally, diffractive optical elements have been used to form laser dot array, however, the field-of-view (FOV) and diffraction efficiency are limited due to their micron-scale pixel size. Here, we propose a metasurface-enhanced SL-based depth-sensing platform that scatters high-density ~10 K dot array over the 180° FOV by manipulating light at subwavelength-scale.

Different Molecular Features of Epithelioid and Giant Cells in Foreign Body Reaction Identified by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

Although macrophage‒epithelioid cell (EPC)‒giant cell (GC) differentiation is acknowledged in foreign body reaction (FBR), the exact molecular features remain elusive. To discover the molecular profiles of EPC and GC, we analyzed mouse sponge and silk FBRs by integrating single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial sequencing, which identified seven cell types, including macrophages and fibroblasts. Macrophages comprised three subsets with a trajectory from M2-like cell to EPC to GC.

Mutational Alterations of DNA Methylation-related Genes CTCF, ZFP57, and ATF7IP Genes in Colon Cancers.

Deregulations of DNA-methylation-related genes are common in cancers, but frameshift mutation status in colon cancer (CC) is unknown. Our study aims to assess whether CTCF, ZFP57, and ATF7IP genes in this category are mutated in CC. CTCF, ZFP57, and ATF7IP genes have repeat coding sequences, which are frequently deleted or duplicated in CC, harboring the phenotype of unstable or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H).

Brief Research Report Regional Difference in TRAF2 and TRAF3 Gene Mutations in Colon Cancers.

and genes of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R)-associated factor (TRAF) family are involved in diverse cell signaling, and function as both tumor suppressor gene and oncogene. Alterations of and in colon cancer (CC) along with their regional difference and microsatellite instability (MSI) are largely unknown. In the present study, we analyzed and frameshift mutations in 168 sporadic CCs (100 high MSI (MSI-H) and 68 microsatellite-stable (MSS) CCs).

Somatic Mutation of Genes in Gastric and Colonic Cancers.

Nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat protein (NLRP) genes are involved in inflammasome formation that plays a role in inflammation/host defense and cell death. Both cell death and inflammation are crucial for cancer development, but the roles of NLRPs in cancer are partially known. In this study, we analyzed mononucleotide repeats in coding sequences of and and found 1, 1, 1 and 8 frameshift mutation (s) in gastric (GC) and colonic cancers (CRC), respectively.

Asymmetric Diffraction in Plasmonic Meta-Gratings Using an IT-Shaped Nanoslit Array.

Diffraction is a fundamental phenomenon that reveals the wave nature of light. When a plane wave is transmitted or reflected from a grating or other periodic structures, diffracted light waves propagate at several angles that are specified by the period of the given structure. When the optical period is shorter than the wavelength, constructive interference of diffracted light rays from the subwavelength-scale grating forms a uniform plane wave.

Expression and Mutation Alterations of ZMYM4 Gene in Gastric and Colonic Cancers.

ZMYM4 is a zinc finger protein, whose cancer-related functions are partially known (cell shape maintenance and cell death). In this study, we analyzed 4 sites of mononucleotide repeats in the coding sequence of ZMYM4 in gastric (GC) and colonic cancers (CC). Seven of the 32 high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) GCs (21.

Mutation and expression alterations of histone methylation-related NSD2, KDM2B and SETMAR genes in colon cancers.

Epigenetic dysregulation is a hallmark of cancers, and examples of its cancer-associated expression and mutation alterations are rapidly growing. Histone methylation, a process by which methyl groups are transferred to amino acids of histone proteins, is crucial for the epigenetic gene regulation. NSD2 (nuclear receptor-binding SET domain protein 2) and SETMAR are epigenetic regulators for histone methylation.

Multipole decomposition for interactions between structured optical fields and meta-atoms.

Interactions between structured optical fields (SOFs) and meta-atoms have been intensively studied, and stimulated by recent advancements on the generation of SOFs and on the synthesis of exotic meta-atoms. Multipole expansion is an efficient and accurate theoretical framework for studying such problems. In this work, explicit expressions of SOFs and their beam-shape coefficients are provided, and their properties are also briefly discussed; the considered SOFs include Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams, tightly-focused LG beams, Bessel beams, and cylindrical vector beams.

Recent Progress on Ultrathin Metalenses for Flat Optics.

As technology advances, electrical devices such as smartphones have become more and more compact, leading to a demand for the continuous miniaturization of optical components. Metalenses, ultrathin flat optical elements composed of metasurfaces consisting of arrays of subwavelength optical antennas, provide a method of meeting those requirements. Moreover, metalenses have many other distinctive advantages including aberration correction, active tunability, and semi-transparency, compared to their conventional refractive and diffractive counterparts.

Cancer-related SRCAP and TPR mutations in colon cancers.

Current information suggests that SRCAP, TPR and CEACAM5 genes have cancer-related activities, but their alteration status is not well identified in colon cancer (CC). In this study, we analyzed frameshift mutations of these genes in CCs according to the microsatellite instability (MSI) status (high MSI (MSI-H) and microsatellite stable (MSS) CCs). In addition, regional difference in frameshift mutations of SRCAP, TPR and CEACAM5 genes were studied in CCs.

Compensation of spin-orbit interaction using the geometric phase of distributed nanoslits for polarization-independent plasmonic vortex generation.

A metasurface is a planar optical device that controls the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light through subwavelength-scale unit elements, called meta-atom. The tunability of plasmonic vortex lens (PVL) which generates surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) carrying orbital angular momentum can be improved by using meta-atom. However, conventional PVLs exhibit nonuniform field profiles according to the incident polarization states owing to the spin-orbital interaction (SOI) effect observed during SPP excitation.

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) seed protein isolate exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages via inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK pathways, and upregulating catalase activity.

Lotus seed has long been used in traditional medicine and cuisine. In this study, lotus seed protein (LSP) was isolated and evaluated its anti-inflammatory effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.