The ultimate aim of quantum key distribution (QKD) is improving the transmission distance and key generation speed. Unfortunately, it is believed to be limited by the secret-key capacity of quantum ...channel without quantum repeater. Recently, a novel twin-field QKD (TF-QKD) is proposed to break through the limit, where the key rate is proportional to the square-root of channel transmittance. Here, by using the vacuum and one-photon state as a qubit, we show that the TF-QKD can be regarded as a measurement-device-independent QKD (MDI-QKD) with single-photon Bell state measurement. Therefore, the MDI property of TF-QKD can be understood clearly. Importantly, the universal security proof theories can be directly used for TF-QKD, such as BB84 encoding, six-state encoding and reference-frame-independent scheme. Furthermore, we propose a feasible experimental scheme for the proof-of-principle experimental demonstration.
Unmanned ship navigates on the water in an autonomous or semiautonomous way, which can be widely used in maritime transportation, intelligence collection, maritime training and testing, ...reconnaissance, and evidence collection. In this paper, we use deep reinforcement learning to solve the optimization problem in the path planning and management of unmanned ships. Specifically, we take the waiting time (phase and duration) at the corner of the path as the optimization goal to minimize the total travel time of unmanned ships passing through the path. We propose a new reward function, which considers the environment and control delay of unmanned ships at the same time, which can reduce the coordination time between unmanned ships at the same time. In the simulation experiment, through the quantitative and qualitative results of deep reinforcement learning of unmanned ship navigation and path angle waiting, the effectiveness of our solution is verified.
Membrane–cytoskeleton interactions (MCIs) are mediated by actin-binding proteins (ABPs). Ezrin is a crucial ABP that links membranes to actin filaments during lamellipodia formation, cell ...polarization, and migration. We discuss the concept of MCI and the potential of ezrin as a druggable target for treating inflammatory diseases and cancers.
Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy among women. Although endocrine therapy is effective, the development of endocrine resistance is a major clinical challenge. The tumor microenvironment ...(TME) promotes tumor malignancy, and tumor‐associated macrophages (TAM) within the TME play a crucial role in endocrine resistance. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the relationship between TAM and the endocrine‐resistant phenotype of breast cancer. Macrophages were cultured with conditioned medium (CM) from tamoxifen‐sensitive (MCF7‐S) or ‐resistant (MCF7‐R) MCF7 breast cancer cells. M2 polarization was detected by CD163 immunofluorescence. To determine the effect on endocrine resistance, MCF7 cells were cultured in the supernatant of different TAM, and then treated with tamoxifen. CC‐chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) immunohistochemistry was carried out on pathological sections from 100 patients with invasive estrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer. We found that macrophages cultured in the CM of MCF7‐S and MCF7‐R cells were induced into TAM, with a more obvious M2 polarization in the latter. Tamoxifen resistance was increased by culture in TAM medium. TAM secreted CCL2, which increased endocrine resistance in breast cancer cells through activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. High expression of CCL2 was correlated with infiltration of CD163+macrophages (r = 0.548, P < .001), and patients with high CCL2 expression presented shorter progression‐free survival than those with low CCL2 expression (P < .05). We conclude that CCL2 secreted by TAM activates PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling and promotes an endocrine resistance feedback loop in the TME, suggesting that CCL2 and TAM may be novel therapeutic targets for patients with endocrine‐resistant breast cancer.
This study investigated the mechanisms underlying tumor‐associated macrophage (TAM)‐mediated endocrine resistance in breast cancer cells. We found that endocrine‐resistant breast cancer cells can induce M2 polarization of TAM, and M2‐polarized TAM in turn further promote endocrine resistance in breast cancer cells. We believe that this article will be of interest to the readership of this journal because we uncovered the underlying mechanism of TAM‐induced endocrine resistance: TAM secrete the cytokine CCL2, which activates the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
Cells are the most basic structural units that play vital roles in the functioning of living organisms. Analysis of the chemical composition and content of a single cell plays a vital role in ...ensuring precise investigations of cellular metabolism, and is a crucial aspect of lipidomic and proteomic studies. In addition, structural knowledge provides a better understanding of cell behavior as well as the cellular and subcellular mechanisms. However, single-cell analysis can be very challenging due to the very small size of each cell as well as the large variety and extremely low concentrations of substances found in individual cells. On account of its high sensitivity and selectivity, mass spectrometry holds great promise as an effective technique for single-cell analysis. Numerous mass spectrometric techniques have been developed to elucidate the molecular profiles at the cellular level, including electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), laser-based mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In this review, the recent advances in single-cell analysis by mass spectrometry are summarized. The strategies of different ionization modes to achieve single-cell analysis are classified and discussed in detail.
Cells are the most basic structural units that play vital roles in the functioning of living organisms.
In recent years, 2D layered materials have received considerable research interest on account of their substantial material systems and unique physicochemical properties. Among them, 2D layered ...transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), a star family member, have already been explored over the last few years and have exhibited excellent performance in electronics, catalysis, and other related fields. However, to fulfill the requirement for practical application, the batch production of 2D TMDs is essential. Recently, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique was considered as an elegant alternative for successfully growing 2D TMDs and their heterostructures. The latest research advances in the controllable synthesis of 2D TMDs and related heterostructures/superlattices via the CVD approach are illustrated here. The controlled growth behavior, preparation strategies, and breakthroughs on the synthesis of new 2D TMDs and their heterostructures, as well as their unique physical phenomena, are also discussed. Recent progress on the application of CVD‐grown 2D materials is revealed with particular attention to electronics/optoelectronic devices and catalysts. Finally, the challenges and future prospects are considered regarding the current development of 2D TMDs and related heterostructures.
The latest research advances in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides and related heterostructures/superlattices are comprehensively summarized. The controlled growth behavior, preparation strategies, and breakthroughs regarding their synthesis are also discussed. Finally, recent progress on the application of CVD‐grown 2D materials is presented with emphasis on the future prospects of these materials.
A record-breaking heavy rainfall event that occurred in Zhengzhou, Henan province during 19–21 July 2021 is simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, and the large-scale ...precipitation efficiency (LSPE) and cloud-microphysical precipitation efficiency (CMPE) of the rainfall are analyzed based on the model results. Then, the key physical factors that influenced LSPE and CMPE, and the possible mechanisms for the extreme rainfall over Zhengzhou are explored. Results show that water vapor flux convergence was the key factor that influenced LSPE. Water vapor was transported by the southeasterly winds between Typhoon In-Fa (2021) and the subtropical high, and the southerly flow of Typhoon Cempaka (2021), and converged in Zhengzhou due to the blocking by the Taihang and Funiu Mountains in western Henan province. Strong moisture convergence centers were formed on the windward slope of the mountains, which led to high LSPE in Zhengzhou. From the perspective of CMPE, the net consumption of water vapor by microphysical processes was the key factor that influenced CMPE. Quantitative budget analysis suggests that water vapor was mainly converted to cloud water and ice-phase particles and then transformed to raindrops through melting of graupel and accretion of cloud water by rainwater during the heavy precipitation stage. The dry intrusion in the middle and upper levels over Zhengzhou made the high potential vorticity descend from the upper troposphere and enhanced the convective instability. Moreover, the intrusion of cold and dry air resulted in the supersaturation and condensation of water vapor, which contributed to the heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou.
It is predicted that the conventional von Neumann computing architecture cannot meet the demands of future data‐intensive computing applications due to the bottleneck between the processing and ...memory units. To try to solve this problem, in‐memory computing technology, where calculations are carried out in situ within each nonvolatile memory unit, has been intensively studied. Among various candidate materials, 2D layered materials have recently demonstrated many new features that have been uniquely exploited to build next‐generation electronics. Here, the recent progress of 2D memory devices is reviewed for in‐memory computing. For each memory configuration, their operation mechanisms and memory characteristics are described, and their pros and cons are weighed. Subsequently, their versatile applications for in‐memory computing technology, including logic operations, electronic synapses, and random number generation are presented. Finally, the current challenges and potential strategies for future 2D in‐memory computing systems are also discussed at the material, device, circuit, and architecture levels. It is hoped that this manuscript could give a comprehensive review of 2D memory devices and their applications in in‐memory computing, and be helpful for this exciting research area.
In‐memory computing that performs computations in situ within a nonvolatile memory unit is considered as one of the mainstream hardware implementations for future data‐intensive computing applications. The recent progress from 2D memory devices to their applications for in‐memory computing is summarized, and the current challenges and potential strategies in this exciting field are proposed.
The function and susceptibility of various drugs are tested with renal proximal tubular epithelial cells; yet, replicating the morphology and kidneys function using the currently available in vitro ...models remains difficult. To overcome this difficulty, in the study presented in this paper, a device and a three-layer microfluidic chip were developed, which provides a simulated environment for kidney organs. This device includes two parts: (1) microfluidic drug concentration gradient generator and (2) a flow-temperature controlled platform for culturing of kidney cells. In chip study, renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (RPTECs) and peritubular capillary endothelial cells (PCECs) were screened with the drugs to assess the drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Unlike cells cultured in petri dishes, cells cultured in the microfluidic device exhibited higher performance in terms of both cell growth and drug nephrotoxicity evaluation. It is worth mentioning that a significant decrease in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity was found because of the intervention of cimetidine in the microfluidic device. In conclusion, the different in the cell performance between the microfluidic device and the petri dishes demonstrates the physiological relevance of the nephrotoxicity screening technology along with the microfluidic device developed in this study. Furthermore, this technology can also facilitate the development of reliable kidney drugs and serve as a useful and efficient test-bed for further investigation of the drug nephrotoxicity evaluation.
•Low-dose BPA exposure caused adverse reproductive effects in animal model.•Emerging evidence indicate BPA analogs exert unique reproductive toxicity in animal model.•Knowledge gaps and research ...needs have been identified for risk assessment.
Known endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) has been shown to be a reproductive toxicant in animal models. Its structural analogs: bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol AF (BPAF), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) are increasingly being used in consumer products. However, these analogs may exert similar adverse effects on the reproductive system, and their toxicological data are still limited. This mini-review examined studies on both BPA and BPA analog exposure and reproductive toxicity. It outlines the current state of knowledge on human exposure, toxicokinetics, endocrine activities, and reproductive toxicities of BPA and its analogs. BPA analogs showed similar endocrine potencies when compared to BPA, and emerging data suggest they may pose threats as reproductive hazards in animal models. While evidence based on epidemiological studies is still weak, we have utilized current studies to highlight knowledge gaps and research needs for future risk assessments.
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