Renoprotective effects of empagliflozin in high-fat diet-induced obesity-related glomerulopathy by regulation of gut-kidney axis.

The increasing prevalence of obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) poses a significant threat to public health. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors effectively reduce body weight and total fat mass in individuals with obesity and halt the progression of ORG. However, the underlying mechanisms of their reno-protective effects in ORG remain unclear. We established a high-fat diet-induced ORG model using C57BL/6J mice, which were divided into three groups: normal chow diet (NCD group), high-fat diet (HFD) mice treated with placebo (ORG group), and HFD mice treated with empagliflozin (EMPA group). We conducted 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of feces and analyzed metabolites from kidney, feces, liver, and serum samples. ORG mice showed increased urinary albumin creatinine ratio, cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and glomerular diameter compared with NCD mice (all P < 0.05). EMPA treatment significantly alleviated these parameters (all P < 0.05). Multitissue metabolomics analysis revealed lipid metabolic reprogramming in ORG mice, which was significantly altered by EMPA treatment. MetOrigin analysis showed a close association between EMPA-related lipid metabolic pathways and gut microbiota alterations, characterized by reduced abundances of Firmicutes and Desulfovibrio and increased abundance of Akkermansia (all P < 0.05). The metabolic homeostasis of ORG mice, especially in lipid metabolism, was disrupted and closely associated with gut microbiota alterations, contributing to the progression of ORG. EMPA treatment improved kidney function and morphology by regulating lipid metabolism through the gut-kidney axis, highlighting a novel therapeutic approach for ORG. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study uncovered that empagliflozin (EMPA) potentially protects renal function and morphology in obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) mice by regulating the gut-kidney axis. EMPA's reno-protective effects in ORG mice are associated with the lipid metabolism, especially in glycerophospholipid metabolism and the pantothenate/CoA synthesis pathways. EMPA's modulation of gut microbiota appears to be pivotal in suppressing glycerol 3-phosphate and CoA synthesis. The insights into gut microbiota-host metabolic interactions offer a novel therapeutic approach for ORG.

Assessment of coastal eco-environmental sustainable development under multiple pressures: A case study of Jiaozhou Bay, China.

The increasing demand for economic development in the coastal zone is exerting greater pressure on the eco-environment in this region. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct comprehensive research on the sustainable development of the eco-environment in coastal areas. Grounded in sustainable development theory and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), this study assessed sustainable development of Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), China over the period from 2015 to 2019 under multiple pressures applying the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. Subsequently, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis was employed to propose specific countermeasures and recommendations. In terms of weight within the criterion layer, Response (R) and Pressure (P) were assigned higher weights. The comprehensive assessment value Z in the target layer indicated a slight decrease in 2016 followed by a gradual increase that eventually led to stabilization. The comprehensive assessment values of the indicators varied depending on different conditions, implying that higher values would contribute to sustainable development of the eco-environment. Based on a SWOT analysis, strategies for Qingdao were derived from a combination of research findings and future development policy. These strategies include preventing and controlling land and sea pollution, governing reclamation activities, optimizing industrial structure, and strengthening public opinion guidance. This study highlights the application of quantitative and qualitative analysis methods in ICZM, providing specific recommendations based on policy analysis for achieving sustainable development in JZB's eco-environment under multiple pressures.

Reducing lipid peroxidation attenuates stress-induced susceptibility to herpes simplex virus type 1.

Psychological stress increases the susceptibility to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection. There is no effective intervention due to the unknown pathogenesis mechanisms. In this study we explored the molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced HSV-1 susceptibility and the antiviral effect of a natural compound rosmarinic acid (RA) in vivo and in vitro. Mice were administered RA (11.7, 23.4 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) or acyclovir (ACV, 206 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) for 23 days. The mice were subjected to restraint stress for 7 days followed by intranasal infection with HSV-1 on D7. At the end of RA or ACV treatment, mouse plasma samples and brain tissues were collected for analysis. We showed that both RA and ACV treatment significantly decreased stress-augmented mortality and alleviated eye swelling and neurological symptoms in HSV-1-infected mice. In SH-SY5Y cells and PC12 cells exposed to the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) plus HSV-1, RA (100 µM) significantly increased the cell viability, and inhibited CORT-induced elevation in the expression of viral proteins and genes. We demonstrated that CORT (50 µM) triggered lipoxygenase 15 (ALOX15)-mediated redox imbalance in the neuronal cells, increasing the level of 4-HNE-conjugated STING, which impaired STING translocation from the endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi; the abnormality of STING-mediated innate immunity led to HSV-1 susceptibility. We revealed that RA was an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation by directly targeting ALOX15, thus RA could rescue stress-weakened neuronal innate immune response, thereby reducing HSV-1 susceptibility in vivo and in vitro. This study illustrates the critical role of lipid peroxidation in stress-induced HSV-1 susceptibility and reveals the potential for developing RA as an effective intervention in anti-HSV-1 therapy.

Detection of superficial lymphatic malformation with dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy.

BACKGROUND: Superficial lymphatic malformation (SLM) is a congenital disorder of the lymphatic channels. It usually appears as clusters of vesicles filled with lymphatic fluid and blood on the skin that resemble frogspawn, making it difficult to distinguish from haemangiomas, angiokeratomas, and pyogenic granulomas. Although pathological results have diagnostic values, the significance of noninvasive examination in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis is also worth exploring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 24-year-old female presented with a history of multiple asymptomatic, pink lesions located on the chest since age 10. Histopathological examination was performed, and results informed the diagnosis of SLM. Lesions were detected by dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). RESULTS: Dermoscopy (polarized, 30×) revealed multiple yellowish-red lacunae in a light red background that were separated by pale septa and "hypopyon sign" was observed. RCM displayed a honeycomb pattern and multiple dark cavities in the upper dermal layers separated by thin septa with a few hypo-refractile cells at the periphery that demonstrated slow fluid flow via dynamic scanning. CONCLUSION: We described a case of SLM detected by dermoscopy and RCM. Dermoscopic and RCM features may provide a potentially powerful, noninvasive instrument for the recognition and differentiation of SLM.

Cynasibirolide A, One New Humulanolide Sesquiterpene from Cynanchum acutum subsp. sibiricum.

Cynasibirolide A (1), one new humulanolide sesquiterpene, together with four known analogs, asteriscanolide (2), (1S,8S)-8-hydroxyhumula-2Z,6E,9E-trien-1,12-olide (3), (1S,7R)-8-oxohumula-2Z,9E-dien-1,12-olide (4), and (+)-6,7,9,10-tetrahydroasteriscunolide (5) were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Cynanchum acutum subsp. sibiricum. Their structures and configurations were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D-NMR techniques, and the structure of 1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-complementary activity in vitro, and compound 3 exhibited anti-complement effect with CH50 value of 0.45 mM.

Deriving vertical profiles of chlorophyll-a concentration in the upper layer of seawaters using ICESat-2 photon-counting lidar.

Chlorophyll-a concentration (chl-a) is a great indicator for estimating phytoplankton biomass and productivity levels and is also particularly useful for monitoring the water quality, biodiversity and species distribution, and harmful algal blooms. A great deal of studies investigated to estimate chl-a concentrations using ocean color remotely sensed data. With the development of photon-counting sensors, spaceborne photon-counting lidar can compensate for the shortcomings of passive optical remote sensing by enabling ocean vertical profiling in low-light conditions (e.g., at night). Using geolocated photons captured by the first spaceborne photon-counting lidar borne on ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2), this research reported methods for deriving vertical profiles of chl-a concentration in the upper layer of ocean waters. This study first calculates the average numbers of backscattered subaqueous photons of ICESat-2 at different water depths, and then estimates the optical parameters in water column based on a discrete theoretical model of the expected number of received signal photons. With the estimated optical parameters, vertical profiles of chl-a concentration are calculated by two different empirical algorithms. In two study areas (mostly with Type I open ocean waters and small part of Type II coastal ocean waters), the derived chl-a concentrations are generally consistent when validated by BGC-Argo (Biogeochemical Argo) data in the vertical direction (MAPEs<15%) and compared with MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data in the along-track direction (average R2>0.86). Using globally covered ICESat-2 data, this approach can be used to obtain vertical profiles of chl-a concentration and optical parameters at a larger scale, which will be helpful to analyze impact factors of climate change and human activities on subsurface phytoplankton species and their growth state.

Current Sheet Antenna Array and 5G: Challenges, Recent Trends, Developments, and Future Directions.

Designing an ultra-wideband array antenna for fifth generation (5G) is challenging for the antenna designing community because of the highly fragmented electromagnetic spectrum. To overcome bandwidth limitations, several millimeter-wave bands for 5G and beyond applications are considered; as a result, many antenna arrays have been proposed during the past decades. This paper aims to explore recent developments and techniques regarding a specific type of phased array antenna used in 5G applications, called current sheet array (CSA). CSA consists of capacitively coupled elements placed over a ground plane, with mutual coupling intentionally introduced in a controlled manner between the elements. CSA concept evolved and led to the realization of new array antennas with multiple octaves of bandwidth. In this review article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the existing works in this line of research. We analyze and discuss various aspects of the proposed array antennas with the wideband and wide-scan operation. Additionally, we discuss the significance of the phased array antenna in 5G communication. Moreover, we describe the current research challenges and future directions for CSA-based phased array antennas.

Evaluation of short-term (16-week) effectiveness and safety of guselkumab in patients with psoriasis: A prospective real-life study on the Chinese population.

Real-life data on guselkumab in psoriasis are limited and not available in China hitherto. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effectiveness and safety of guselkumab in patients with psoriasis under Chinese real-life conditions and to explore the effect of guselkumab on CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). A Chinese prospective and real-life study involving patients with psoriasis in Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China from April to September 2020 was conducted. A total of 45 patients with psoriasis were finally enrolled in the study. Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 and 100 responses at week 16 were achieved by 88.6% and 45.5% of patients, respectively. The analysis of PASI response in different subgroups showed no statistically significant difference. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that at week 16, none of the variables were associated with decreasing PASI 90 response, whereas age at onset of disease was a predictor of PASI 100 response. Dynamic detection of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs frequency from peripheral blood suggested a stable maintained trend in terms of guselkumab treatment duration. No severe adverse events occurred during the follow-up period. This study confirmed the short-term effectiveness and safety of guselkumab, as well as its good tolerance against psoriasis, in the Chinese population. Guselkumab treatment maintains levels of Tregs in patients with psoriasis.

The Role of Dietary Fiber Supplementation in Regulating Uremic Toxins in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVES: The results of previously published meta-analyses showed that dietary fiber could reduce the levels of p-cresyl sulfate, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, these results were based on some trials with pre-post design and randomized controlled trials of low quality. Additionally, it has been suggested that the dosage and duration of fiber supplementation and patients' characteristics potentially influence the effect of dietary fiber in reducing uremic toxins, but it would appear that no research has provided reliable evidence. DESIGN AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Data were pooled by the generic inverse variance method using random effects models and expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was quantified by I2. Publication bias was evaluated by Egger's test. RESULTS: Ten randomized controlled trials involving 292 patients with CKD were identified. Dietary fiber supplementation can significantly reduce the levels of indoxyl sulfate (SMD = -0.55, 95% CI = -1.04, -0.07, P = .03), p-cresyl sulfate (SMD = -0.47, 95% CI = -0.82, -0.13, P < .01), blood urea nitrogen (SMD = -0.31, 95% CI = -0.58, -0.03, P = .03), and uric acid (SMD = -0.60, 95% CI = -1.02, -0.18, P < .01), but not on reducing creatinine (SMD = -0.31, 95% CI = -0.73, 0.11, P = .14). In subgroup analyses, the reduction of indoxyl sulfate was more obvious among patients on dialysis than patients not on dialysis (P for interaction = .03); the reduction of creatinine was more obvious among patients without diabetes than those with diabetes (P for interaction <.01). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicates that dietary fiber supplementation can significantly reduce the levels of uremic toxins in patients with CKD, with evidence for a more obvious effect of patients on dialysis and without diabetes. These findings inform recommendations for using dietary fiber to reducing the uremic toxin among CKD patients in clinical practice.

Development and psychometric testing of a questionnaire to assess Nurse's perception of risks during enteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Enteral nutrition (EN) therapy is widely used in clinical practice to provide artificial nutrition to patients, while the incidence of adverse events are relatively highly. In the clinical setting, the occurrence of adverse events is associated with the nurse's risk perception. Thus, using tool to evaluate nurse's risk perception of enteral nutrition is necessary. METHODS: The draft questionnaire with 37-items was formed by comprehensive literature reviews and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 nurses. Two iterations of expert consultations were used to evaluate the content validity, and 4 items were deleted in this phrase. A 33-items questionnaire was used to survey 352 nurses from five tertiary hospitals in China from May to July 2019 with convenience sampling. Content validity, construct validity and known-groups validity were evaluated by content validity index (CVI), exploratory factor analysis, and the comparisons of the different EN risk perception levels of nurses at different working departments and different educational backgrounds, respectively. Reliability was tested by internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and split-half reliability. RESULTS: After the exploratory factor analysis, four items were excluded. Finally, the newly developed questionnaire included 29 items explaining 71.356% of the total variance. It consisted of three factors: Risks of operation (15 items); Risks of EN-related adverse events (11 items), and Risks of EN solution selection (3 items). The CVI of the questionnaire was 0.95 and the CVI of items ranged from 0.875-1.0. The results of known-groups validity showed that the nurses with different educational backgrounds had a statistically significant difference of EN risk perception (z = - 3.024, p = 0.002), whereas there was not significantly different between EN risk perception of nurses working in different departments (z = - 1.644, p = 0.100). The Cronbach's α, test-retest reliability, and split-half reliability of the questionnaire were 0.967, 0.818, and 0.815, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed questionnaire for assessing nurse's EN risk perception showed good reliability and validity. It can be used as a tool for nursing managers to assess Chinese nurses' EN risk perception ability, so as to help to reduce the occurrence of adverse events during EN implementation.

[Qingre Xiaoyanning Capsules alleviate HSV-1 susceptibility induced by emotional stress].

In this study, emotional stress-induced herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) susceptibility model was employed to simu-late the pathological state of " depression-induced liver fire", and the protection effect of Qingre Xiaoyanning(QX) in clearing liver fire was investigated. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a HSV-1 group, a restraint stress + HSV-1 group,low-(0. 658 g·kg~(-1)) and high-dose(1. 316 g·kg~(-1)) QX groups, and an acyclovir group. Except for the normal group and the HSV-1 group, the mice in other groups received daily restraint stress for 6 h from day 3 of medication. On day 9 of medication, mice were anesthetized by isoflurane and infected intranasally with HSV-1. Survival rate, weight change, encephalitis symptoms, and eye injury of mice were recorded for 14 d after virus infection. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect pathological changes and HSV-1 antigen distribution. Plaque assay was performed to detect the titer of HSV-1. The protein ex-pression of ICP27 in the mouse brain was detected by Western blot. The experimental results showed that QX could increase the survival rate of HSV-1-infected mice loaded with emotional stress(P<0. 001), reduce the titer of HSV-1 in the mouse brain(P<0. 01), relieve brain inflammation(P<0. 05) and eye injury(P<0. 05), down-regulate the expression of ICP27 related to HSV-1(P<0. 05), and decrease the distribution of HSV-1 antigen in the mouse brain. The results demonstrated that QX significantly reduced the susceptibility to HSV-1 induced by emotional stress, which is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment and preven-tion of HSV-1 infection and promote the clinical development and application of Chinese medicine effective in clearing liver fire.

Current status and factors influencing oral anticoagulant therapy among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in Jiangsu province, China: a multi-center, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that oral anticoagulation (OAC) is underused among Chinese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have been recommended by recent guidelines and have been covered since 2017 by the Chinese medical insurance; thus, the overall situation of anticoagulant therapy may change. The aim of this study was to explore the current status of anticoagulant therapy among Chinese patients with NVAF in Jiangsu province. METHODS: This was a multi-center, cross-sectional study that was conducted in seven hospitals from January to September in 2017. The demographic characteristics and medical history of the patients were collected by questionnaire and from the medical records. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with anticoagulant therapy. RESULTS: A total of 593 patients were included in the analysis. A total of 35.6% of the participants received OAC (11.1% NOAC and 24.5% warfarin). Of those patients with a high risk of stroke, 11.1% were on NOAC, 24.8% on warfarin, 30.6% on aspirin, and 33.6% were not on medication. Self-paying, duration of AF ≥5 years were negatively associated with anticoagulant therapy in all patients (OR 1.724, 95% CI 1.086~2.794; OR 1.471, 95% CI 1.006~2.149, respectively), whereas, permanent AF was positively associated with anticoagulant therapy (OR 0.424, 95% CI 0.215~0.839). Among patients with high risk of stroke, self-paying and increasing age were negatively associated with anticoagulant therapy (OR 2.305, 95% CI 1.186~4.478; OR 1.087, 95% CI 1.041~1.135, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Anticoagulant therapy is positively associated with permanent AF and negatively associated with self-paying, duration of AF > 5 years. Furthermore, the current status of anticoagulant therapy among Chinese patients with NVAF in Jiangsu province does not appear optimistic. Therefore, further studies should focus on how to improve the rate of OAC use among NVAF patients. In addition, policy makers should pay attention to the economic situation of the patients with NVAF using NOAC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: 2,017,029. Registered 20 March 2017 (retrospectively registered).

Fasting serum total bile acid levels are associated with insulin sensitivity, islet ß-cell function and glucagon levels in response to glucose challenge in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by islet ß-cell dysfunction and impaired suppression of glucagon secretion of α-cells in response to oral hyperglycaemia. Bile acid (BA) metabolism plays a dominant role in maintaining glucose homeostasis. So we evaluated the association of fasting serum total bile acids (S-TBAs) with insulin sensitivity, islet ß-cell function and glucagon levels in T2D. Total 2,952 T2D patients with fasting S-TBAs in the normal range were recruited and received oral glucose tolerance tests for determination of fasting and postchallenge glucose, C-peptide and glucagon. Fasting and systemic insulin sensitivity were assessed by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) and Matsuda index using C-peptide, i.e., ISHOMA-cp and ISIM-cp, respectively. Islet ß-cell function was assessed by the insulin-secretion-sensitivity-index-2 using C-peptide (ISSI2cp). The area under the glucagon curve (AUCgla) was used to assess postchallenge glucagon. The results showed ISHOMA-cp, ISIM-cp and ISSI2cp decreased, while AUCgla notably increased, across ascending quartiles of S-TBAs but not fasting glucagon. Moreover, S-TBAs were inversely correlated with ISHOMA-cp, ISIM-cp and ISSI2cp (r = -0.21, -0.15 and -0.25, respectively, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with AUCgla (r = 0.32, p < 0.001) but not with fasting glucagon (r = 0.033, p = 0.070). Furthermore, after adjusting for other clinical covariates by multiple linear regression analyses, the S-TBAs were independently associated with ISHOMA-cp (ß = -0.04, t = -2.82, p = 0.005), ISIM-cp (ß = -0.11, t = -7.05, p < 0.001), ISSI2cp (ß = -0.15, t = -10.26, p < 0.001) and AUCgla (ß = 0.29, t = 19.08, p < 0.001). Increased fasting S-TBAs are associated with blunted fasting and systemic insulin sensitivity, impaired islet ß-cell function and increased glucagon levels in response to glucose challenge in T2D.

Assessing the potential risk and relationship between microplastics and phthalates in surface seawater of a heavily human-impacted metropolitan bay in northern China.

The impacts of microplastics (MPs) and phthalates (PAEs), a class of MP-associated contaminants, on the marine environment are not thoroughly understood despite concern over their adverse effects on humans and ecosystems. Field studies linking MPs and PAEs in seawater have not yet been reported. We investigate for the first time the correlation between MPs contamination and the presence of PAEs in the surface seawater of Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), a semi-enclosed metropolitan bay in northern China heavily impacted by human activity. The abundance of MPs, dominated by polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate mostly smaller than 2 mm, ranged between 24.44 items/m3 and 180.23 items/m3, with the majority being black and transparent fibers and fragments. Concentrations of PAEs varied from 129.96 ng/L to 921.22 ng/L. Relatively higher abundances of MPs and higher concentrations of PAEs were generally found in areas near riverine inputs and sewage treatment plants. There was a strong correlation between PAEs concentration and MPs abundance, suggesting that they are closely linked. In a risk assessment combining PAEs and MPs, the risk quotients (RQs) indicated that the ecological risk of di-n-butyl phthalate in JZB was relatively high (0.046

Theoretical background noise rate over water surface for a photon-counting lidar and its application in land and sea cover classification.

For photon-counting lidars, the classical theoretical rate of the noise photons reflected by the Earth's surface is under the assumption that the Earth's surface is a Lambert reflector, which is obviously not suitable for the water surface. In this paper, the specular reflection theorem is introduced to derive an analytical expression of noise photons arising from the water surface reflection. The verification uses the mean noise rate over water surface, calculated by the raw data photons measured by the Multiple Altimeter Beam Experiment Lidar (MABEL) near the East Coast in the North Carolina, USA. The measured result coincides well with the theoretical noise rate, as both of them equal to 8.4 kHz. In addition, the background noise model also indicates that the background noise rate over the land surface is one order of magnitude larger than that over the water surface, in certain conditions. Hence, a new method, based on the noise rates, is proposed for the Earth's surface type classification and it performs well in distinguishing all water surfaces from land surfaces in the coastal area. For space-borne or airborne photon-counting lidars, this paper not only fills the gap of theoretical rate of noise photons from the water surface but also provides a fast and effective method to classify the Earth's surface types. This method is also suitable for distinguishing ice and water in high-latitude sea-ice covered regions, which is the area of most interest of the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission.

Theoretical ranging performance model and range walk error correction for photon-counting lidars with multiple detectors.

Ranging performance is the key indicator for a ranging lidar system, and a theoretical ranging performance model can be used for optimizing systematic parameters when designing a lidar system. The fluctuation of the signal photon numbers introduces range walk error to photon-counting lidars that can be as high as tens of centimeters. In this paper, based on the lidar equation and the statistical property of photon-counting detectors, a theoretical ranging performance model for photon-counting lidars with multiple detectors is first derived. Next, a theoretical correction method for offsetting range walk error is proposed, as verified by experiments using a Gm-APD (Geiger mode avalanche photodiode) lidar system. The results indicate that multiple detectors are very useful to maintain a consistent ranging precision when the mean received signal photons are variable. With a 1600 repetitive ranging measurement, the new method can achieve a centimeter ranging accuracy, with a mean and standard deviation of the residual errors of 1.14 cm and 1.23 cm, respectively. This new method is potentially suitable for a satellite photon-counting lidar system such as ICESat-2, as only a certain number of repetitive measurements, the time tag, and a certain number of triggered detectors are required to offset the range walk error.

Tumor-associated macrophages correlate with phenomenon of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and contribute to poor prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are associated with poor outcomes in multiple solid cancers and play important roles in cancer progression. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may account for metastasis and recurrence. However, the association between TAMs and EMT is not clarified in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of TAMs on EMT in TNBC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied specimens from 278 patients with TNBC. TAMs marker cluster of differentiation 163 and EMT-related marker E-cadherin were detected by immunohistochemistry in TNBC tissues, and their clinical significance was evaluated from the patients' medical records. RESULTS: TNBC patients with polarized cluster of differentiation 163+ TAMs infiltration and low level of E-cadherin had a significantly higher risk of aggressive features, including recurrence, histologic differentiation, and lymph node metastasis. Infiltration of TAMs was also negatively correlated with E-cadherin in TNBC tissues. Multivariate analysis indicated that infiltration of TAMs and low expression of E-cadherin were independent prognostic factors of overall survival and disease-free survival in TNBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: High infiltration of TAMs was associated with low expression of E-cadherin and could be used as an unfavorable prognostic factor for patients with TNBC.

Effects of adatom and gas molecule adsorption on the physical properties of tellurene: a first principles investigation.

Tellurene is a new member of the two-dimensional (2D) materials' family, whose existence has been recently confirmed by first principles calculation and experimental work. Tellurene is also the first 2D mono-elemental material of group-VI predicted by scientists, and investigations of its basic properties are still in their infancy. In this study, we use first principles calculation based on density functional theory to investigate the adsorption of nineteen typical adatoms (Li, Na, K, Ca, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Au, Pd, Pt, B, N, O, Si, Cl, and Al), and five typical gas molecules (H2, O2, H2O, NO2, and NH3) on α-phase as well as ß-phase tellurene sheets. Our calculations shows that most adatoms are chemisorbed on tellurene sheets with large adsorption energies. Moreover, some of the adatoms are observed to give rise to distinct structural deformations and even local reconstructions. We report that a variety of electronic states are induced by the adatoms, which implies that different electronic structures can be engineered by the adsorption of adatoms. In fact, n-type doping, p-type doping, half-metal, and spin-gapless semiconductor features can be acquired by doping adatoms on tellurene sheets. Our calculations also show that the five gas molecules are all physisorbed on tellurene sheets, and no splitting behaviors are observed. Therefore, the adsorption of the five gas molecules has a weak effect on the electronic properties of tellurene. To conclude, our results indicate that adatom engineering may be used to greatly expand the potential applications of 2D tellurene.

Method for determining the footprint center of a satellite laser altimeter based on marked waveforms by CCRs.

To evaluate the data accuracy of a satellite laser altimeter, in situ verification should be performed periodically, and the laser footprint center should be precisely extracted and positioned. To date, two methods have been derived to determine the center of the laser footprint: using waveform matching when a laser is illuminated on complex surfaces or using an energy detector array to capture the laser footprint when illuminating a flat calibration site. A corner cube retroreflector (CCR) array is never used to calculate the footprint center. In this study, a new method is derived to determine the laser center by analyzing the return waveforms, which are marked with a designed CCR array above ground. First, the parameters of a single CCR are designed to compensate for the velocity aberration of a satellite. The footprint center is positioned based on a damped steepest decent method when at least four CCRs are hit, and the corresponding return waveforms are marked. Next, the layout scheme of the CCRs is designed, and the positioning accuracy is evaluated using this new method. The simulated results indicate that the positioning accuracy of the laser footprint centers will be approximately 2 m horizontal. In the future, this method will be used to determine laser footprint centers and will be integrated with the current method of energy detector array in the calibration site to provide basic data to accomplish in situ verification work for the China GF-7 satellite laser altimeter.

Theoretical surface type classifier based on a waveform model of a satellite laser altimeter and its performance in the north of Greenland.

Current land-cover classification methods using ICESat/GLAS's (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite/Geoscience Laser Altimeter System) datasets are based on empirical thresholds or machine learning by training multiple GLAS parameters, e.g., the reflectivity and elevation of the target and width, amplitude, kurtosis, and skewness of the return waveform. A theoretical classifier is derived based on a waveform model of an actual laser altimeter illuminating the sea surface. With given system parameters and the sea surface wind corresponding to the location of a laser footprint (the wind can be calculated by using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction dataset), a precise theoretical waveform can be generated as a reference. Compared with the measured waveform, a weighted total difference, which is very sensitive to small-scale sea ice within the laser footprint, can be calculated to classify the GLAS measured data as open water. In the north of Greenland, after discarding the saturated GLAS data, the new theoretical classifier performed better [overall accuracy (OA)=95.62%, Kappa coefficient=0.8959] compared to the classical support vector machine (SVM) classifier (OA=90.44%, Kappa=0.7901), but the SVM classifier showed a better result for the user's accuracy of sea ice. Benefiting from the synergies of the theoretical and SVM classifiers, the integrated theoretical and SVM classifier achieved excellent accuracy (OA=98.21%, Kappa=0.9588). In the future, the new ICESat-2 photon counting laser altimeter will also construct a "waveform" (elevation distribution) by selecting the photon cloud, and thus, this new analytical method will be potentially useful for detecting open water in the Arctic.