Long-distance and high-precision ranging with dual-comb nonlinear asynchronous optical sampling.

Precise distance metrology and measurements play an important role in many fields of scientific research and industrial manufacture. Dual-comb laser ranging combines sub-wavelength ranging precision, large non-ambiguity range, and high update rate, making it the most promising candidate in precise distance metrology and measurements. However, previous demonstrations of dual-comb ranging suffer from short working distances, limited by the decoherence of lasers in interferometric schemes or by the low sensitivity of the photodetectors in response to the sparse echo photons. Here, we propose and demonstrate time-of-flight laser ranging with dual-comb nonlinear asynchronous optical sampling and photon counting by a fractal superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, achieving ranging precision of 6.2 micrometers with an acquisition time of 100 ms and 0.9 micrometers with an acquisition time of 1 s in measuring the distance of an outdoor target approximately 298 m away.

Dynamic variation of Paris polyphylla root-associated microbiome assembly with planting years.

MAIN CONCLUSION: P. polyphylla selectively enriches beneficial microorganisms to help their growth. Paris polyphylla (P. polyphylla) is an important perennial plant for Chinese traditional medicine. Uncovering the interaction between P. polyphylla and the related microorganisms would help to utilize and cultivate P. polyphylla. However, studies focusing on P. polyphylla and related microbes are scarce, especially on the assembly mechanisms and dynamics of the P. polyphylla microbiome. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes was implemented to investigate the diversity, community assembly process and molecular ecological network of the bacterial communities in three root compartments (bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root endosphere) across three years. Our results demonstrated that the composition and assembly process of the microbial community in different compartments varied greatly and were strongly affected by planting years. Bacterial diversity was reduced from bulk soils to rhizosphere soils to root endosphere and varied over time. Microorganisms benefit to plants was selectively enriched in P. polyphylla roots as was its core microbiome, including Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Steroidobacter, Sphingobium and Agrobacterium. The network's complexity and the proportion of stochasticity in the community assembly process increased. Besides, nitrogen metabolism, carbon metabolism, phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism genes in bulk soils increased over time. These findings suggest that P. polyphylla exerts a selective effect to enrich the beneficial microorganisms and proves the sequential increasing selection pressure with P. polyphylla growth. Our work adds to the understanding of the dynamic processes of plant-associated microbial community assembly, guides the selection and application timing of P. polyphylla-associated microbial inoculants and is vital for sustainable agriculture.

Non-line-of-sight imaging at infrared wavelengths using a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector.

Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) imaging can visualize a remote object out of the direct line of sight and can potentially be used in endoscopy, unmanned vehicles, and robotic vision. In an NLOS imaging system, multiple diffusive reflections of light usually induce large optical attenuation, and therefore, a sensitive and efficient photodetector, or, their array, is required. Limited by the spectral sensitivity of the light sensors, up to now, most of the NLOS imaging experiments are performed in the visible bands, and a few at the near-infrared, 1550 nm. Here, to break this spectral limitation, we demonstrate a proof-of-principle NLOS imaging system using a fractal superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, which exhibits intrinsic single-photon sensitivity over an ultra-broad spectral range. We showcase NLOS imaging at 1560- and 1997-nm two wavelengths, both technologically important for specific applications. We develop a de-noising algorithm and combine it with the light-cone-transform algorithm to reconstruct the shape of the hidden objects with significantly enhanced signal-to-noise ratios. We believe that the joint advancement of the hardware and the algorithm presented in this paper could further expand the application spaces of the NLOS imaging systems.

Fractal superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors working in dual bands and their applications in free-space and underwater hybrid LIDAR.

We demonstrate a fiber-coupled fractal superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) system with minimum polarization dependence of detection efficiency. Its system detection efficiency (SDE) was maximized at the wavelength of 1540 nm, which was measured to be 91 ± 4%; furthermore, we observed the second local maximum of SDE at the wavelength of 520 nm, which was measured to be 61 ± 2%. This dual-band feature of SDE was due to the enhancement of the optical absorptance by two longitudinal resonance modes of the micro-cavity. By using high SDE with minimum polarization dependence in these two bands, we implemented a hybrid LIDAR for imaging the remote objects in free space and under water.

Base-Catalyzed One-Pot Synthesis of 2,3,6-Substituted Pyridines.

A three-component reaction catalyzed by base was established, which mainly consisted of ynals, isocyanates, amines and alcohols. This strategy provides a wide range of substrates and represents a simple process for the preparation of different pyridine derivatives in good yields with high regioselectivities.

Coronary artery spasm treated with intracoronary bioresorbable scaffold implantation under the guidance of treadmill test and optical coherence tomography: A case report.

Coronary artery spasm (CAS) can cause unstable angina, and the treatment of this disease is controversial. We report an elderly male patient who was admitted to hospital due to chest tightness. CAG showed that 70% stenosis in the middle of the right coronary artery (RCA). A bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) was implanted in the lesion under the guidance of optical coherence tomography (OCT). One year later, the patient's symptoms were relieved. The repeated CAG showed that the stent was good. BRS implantation under the guidance of treadmill test and OCT is one of treatment options for CAS patients.

Noise properties of contactless integrated photonic probes on silicon waveguides.

Contactless integrated photonic probes (CLIPPs) have been used as on-chip power monitors with minimum perturbations to optical modes. In this work, we present the experimental measurements and analysis of the noise properties of these types of devices integrated with silicon waveguides. We focus on the study of how circuitry parameters, including the gain of the trans-impedance amplifier, lock-in bandwidth, and amplitude and frequency of the bias voltage, affect the noise properties. Finally, we establish a circuit model and use the Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis to model and simulate the noise properties of these devices. Our analysis shows that the thermal noise of the CLIPPs and electrical noise of the trans-impedance amplifier are the dominant sources of noise.

Estimation of Knee Joint Angle from Surface EMG Using Multiple Kernels Relevance Vector Regression.

In wearable robots, the application of surface electromyography (sEMG) signals in motion intention recognition is a hot research issue. To improve the viability of human-robot interactive perception and to reduce the complexity of the knee joint angle estimation model, this paper proposed an estimation model for knee joint angle based on the novel method of multiple kernel relevance vector regression (MKRVR) through offline learning. The root mean square error, mean absolute error, and R2_score are used as performance indicators. By comparing the estimation model of MKRVR and least squares support vector regression (LSSVR), the MKRVR performs better on the estimation of the knee joint angle. The results showed that the MKRVR can estimate the knee joint angle with a continuous global MAE of 3.27° ± 1.2°, RMSE of 4.81° ± 1.37°, and R2 of 0.8946 ± 0.07. Therefore, we concluded that the MKRVR for the estimation of the knee joint angle from sEMG is viable and could be used for motion analysis and the application of recognition of the wearer's motion intentions in human-robot collaboration control.

Dual-Signal Feature Spaces Map Protein Subcellular Locations Based on Immunohistochemistry Image and Protein Sequence.

Protein is one of the primary biochemical macromolecular regulators in the compartmental cellular structure, and the subcellular locations of proteins can therefore provide information on the function of subcellular structures and physiological environments. Recently, data-driven systems have been developed to predict the subcellular location of proteins based on protein sequence, immunohistochemistry (IHC) images, or immunofluorescence (IF) images. However, the research on the fusion of multiple protein signals has received little attention. In this study, we developed a dual-signal computational protocol by incorporating IHC images into protein sequences to learn protein subcellular localization. Three major steps can be summarized as follows in this protocol: first, a benchmark database that includes 281 proteins sorted out from 4722 proteins of the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and Swiss-Prot database, which is involved in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, cytosol, and nucleoplasm; second, discriminative feature operators were first employed to quantitate protein image-sequence samples that include IHC images and protein sequence; finally, the feature subspace of different protein signals is absorbed to construct multiple sub-classifiers via dimensionality reduction and binary relevance (BR), and multiple confidence derived from multiple sub-classifiers is adopted to decide subcellular location by the centralized voting mechanism at the decision layer. The experimental results indicated that the dual-signal model embedded IHC images and protein sequences outperformed the single-signal models with accuracy, precision, and recall of 75.41%, 80.38%, and 74.38%, respectively. It is enlightening for further research on protein subcellular location prediction under multi-signal fusion of protein.

Construction of NiCoZnS materials with controllable morphology for high-performance supercapacitors.

A facile two-step hydrothermal approach with post-sulfurization treatment was put forward to construct the mixed transition metal sulfide (NiCoZnS) with a high electrochemical performance. The different morphologies of NiCoZnS materials were successfully fabricated by adjusted the Ni/Co molar ratio of the NiCoZn(OH)F precursor. Moreover, thein situphase transformation from the NiCoZn(OH)F phase to Zn0.76Co0.24S and NiCo2S4phases and lattice defects via the S2-ion-exchange were determined by x-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques, which improved electric conductivity and interfacial active sites of the NiCoZnS, and so promoted the reaction kinetics. Significantly, the urchin-like NiCoZnS1/1prepared at the Ni/Co molar ratio of 1.0 exhibited promising electrochemical performances with high capacitance and excellent cycling stability. Furthermore, the asymmetric device (NiCoZnS//AC) using NiCoZnS1/1as the positive electrode had excellent supercapacitor performances with an energy density of 57.8 Wh·kg-1at a power density of 750 W·kg-1as well as a long cycle life (79.2% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles), indicating the potential application in high-performance supercapacitors.

Entropy Enhanced Perovskite Oxide Ceramic for Efficient Electrochemical Reduction of Oxygen to Hydrogen Peroxide.

The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) offers a most promising and efficient route to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), yet the lack of cost-effective and high-performance electrocatalysts have restricted its practical application. Herein, an entropy-enhancement strategy has been employed to enable the low-cost perovskite oxide to effectively catalyze the electrosynthesis of H2 O2 . The optimized Pb(NiWMnNbZrTi)1/6 O3 ceramic is available on a kilogram-scale and displays commendable ORR activity in alkaline media with high selectivity over 91 % across the wide potential range for H2 O2 including an outstanding degradation property for organic dyes through the Fenton process. The exceptional performance of this perovskite oxide is attributed to the entropy stabilization-induced polymorphic transformation assuring the robust structural stability, decreased charge mobility as well as synergistic catalytic effects which we confirm using advanced in situ Raman, transient photovoltage, Rietveld refinement as well as finite elemental analysis.

The dissection of R genes and locus Pc5.1 in Phytophthora capsici infection provides a novel view of disease resistance in peppers.

BACKGROUND: Phytophthora capsici root rot (PRR) is a disastrous disease in peppers (Capsicum spp.) caused by soilborne oomycete with typical symptoms of necrosis and constriction at the basal stem and consequent plant wilting. Most studies on the QTL mapping of P. capsici resistance suggested a consensus broad-spectrum QTL on chromosome 5 named Pc.5.1 regardless of P. capsici isolates and resistant resources. In addition, all these reports proposed NBS-ARC domain genes as candidate genes controlling resistance. RESULTS: We screened out 10 PRR-resistant resources from 160 Capsicum germplasm and inspected the response of locus Pc.5.1 and NBS-ARC genes during P. capsici infection by comparing the root transcriptomes of resistant pepper 305R and susceptible pepper 372S. To dissect the structure of Pc.5.1, we anchored genetic markers onto pepper genomic sequence and made an extended Pc5.1 (Ext-Pc5.1) located at 8.35 Mb-38.13 Mb on chromosome 5 which covered all Pc5.1 reported in publications. A total of 571 NBS-ARC genes were mined from the genome of pepper CM334 and 34 genes were significantly affected by P. capsici infection in either 305R or 372S. Only 5 inducible NBS-ARC genes had LRR domains and none of them was positioned at Ext-Pc5.1. Ext-Pc5.1 did show strong response to P. capsici infection and there were a total of 44 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), but no candidate genes proposed by previous publications was included. Snakin-1 (SN1), a well-known antimicrobial peptide gene located at Pc5.1, was significantly decreased in 372S but not in 305R. Moreover, there was an impressive upregulation of sugar pathway genes in 305R, which was confirmed by metabolite analysis of roots. The biological processes of histone methylation, histone phosphorylation, DNA methylation, and nucleosome assembly were strongly activated in 305R but not in 372S, indicating an epigenetic-related defense mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: Those NBS-ARC genes that were suggested to contribute to Pc5.1 in previous publications did not show any significant response in P. capsici infection and there were no significant differences of these genes in transcription levels between 305R and 372S. Other pathogen defense-related genes like SN1 might account for Pc5.1. Our study also proposed the important role of sugar and epigenetic regulation in the defense against P. capsici.

Infrared photoconductor based on surface-state absorption in silicon.

We report on a normal-incidence infrared photoconductor based on surface-state absorption in silicon, featuring broad-spectrum photoresponse, sensitivity of ${-}46\;{\rm dBm} $ enabled by lock-in readouts, CMOS-compatible fabrication process, and near transparency to incident light. Its applications in infrared imaging and measuring the beam profiles are demonstrated and presented. Future extension from this single-pixel element to a many-pixel camera is discussed.

Association between baseline serum uric acid and development of LDL-C level in patients with first acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Data on the relationship of baseline serum uric acid (SUA) with development of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level in patients with first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are limited. The present study is to evaluate whether elevated SUA predicts the development of LDL-C in the first AMI. METHODS: This is a retrospective 6-month cohort study of 475 hospitalized Chinese patients who underwent first AMI between January 2015 and December 2019 and were reevaluated half a year later at the Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Province, China. The associations of baseline SUA with the percentage decrease of LDL-C (%) and LDL-C control were analyzed by using logistic regression analyses, multivariate linear regression analyses and the restricted cubic spline. RESULTS: Over the 6-month follow-up, baseline SUA was independently and positively associated with the percentage decrease of LDL-C (%) and LDL-C control in a dose response fashion. After multivariable adjustment, per SD increment of baseline SUA (120.58 µmol/L) was associated with 3.96% higher percentage decrease of LDL-C(%). The adjusted OR (95% CI) for LDL-C control was 5.62 (2.05, 15.36) when comparing the highest tertile (SUA ≥ 437.0 µmol/L) to the lowest tertile (< 341.7 µmol/L) of baseline SUA. CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese patients with first AMI, higher baseline SUA was associated with higher LDL-C deduction percentage (%), and higher rate of LDL-C control in the short-term follow-up, respectively. SUA acquired when AMI occurred was prone to be profitable in predicting the risk stratification of uncontrolled LDL-C and dyslipidemia management.

Temperature-dependent characteristics of infrared photodetectors based on surface-state absorption in silicon.

At various temperatures, ranging from 25°C to 50°C, we characterized two types of photodetectors based on surface-state absorption in silicon: (1) contactless integrated photonic probes (CLIPPs) and (2) normal-incidence photoconductors. Both types of photodetectors exhibited temperature-dependent AC admittance without illumination. With illumination at telecommunication wavelengths near 1550 nm, in the temperature range we measured, the photoresponse of CLIPPs, i.e., the variance of admittance due to illumination, was relatively insensitive to temperature changes; in comparison, the temperature dependence of the photoresponse of normal-incidence photoconductors was more pronounced-their responsivity increased as temperature raised.

AllEnricher: a comprehensive gene set function enrichment tool for both model and non-model species.

BACKGROUND: Function genomic studies will generally result in lists of genes that may provide clues for exploring biological questions and discovering unanticipated functions, based on differential gene expression analysis, differential epigenomic analysis or co-expression network analysis. While tools have been developed to identify biological functions that are enriched in the genes sets, there remains a need for comprehensive tools that identify functional enrichment of genes for both model and non-model species from a different function classification perspective. RESULTS: We developed AllEnricher, a tool that calculates gene set function enrichment, with user-defined updatable libraries backing up for both model and non-model species as well as providing comprehensive functional interpretation from multiple dimensions, including GO, KEGG, Reactome, DO and DisGeNET. CONCLUSIONS: AllEnricher incorporates up to date information from different public resources and provides a comprehensive resolution for biologists to make sense out of specific gene sets, making it an advanced open-source tool for gene set function analysis.

Impaired glucose partitioning in primary myotubes from severely obese women with type 2 diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether intramyocellular glucose partitioning was altered in primary human myotubes derived from severely obese women with type 2 diabetes. Human skeletal muscle cells were obtained from lean nondiabetic and severely obese Caucasian females with type 2 diabetes [body mass index (BMI): 23.6 ± 2.6 vs. 48.8 ± 1.9 kg/m2, fasting glucose: 86.9 ± 1.6 vs. 135.6 ± 12.0 mg/dL, n = 9/group]. 1-[14C]-Glucose metabolism (glycogen synthesis, glucose oxidation, and nonoxidized glycolysis) and 1- and 2-[14C]-pyruvate oxidation were examined in fully differentiated myotubes under basal and insulin-stimulated conditions. Tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates were determined via targeted metabolomics. Myotubes derived from severely obese individuals with type 2 diabetes exhibited impaired insulin-mediated glucose partitioning with reduced rates of glycogen synthesis and glucose oxidation and increased rates of nonoxidized glycolytic products, when compared with myotubes derived from the nondiabetic individuals (P < 0.05). Both 1- and 2-[14C]-pyruvate oxidation rates were significantly blunted in myotubes from severely obese women with type 2 diabetes compared with myotubes from the nondiabetic controls. Lastly, concentrations of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, namely, citrate (P < 0.05), cis-aconitic acid (P = 0.07), and α-ketoglutarate (P < 0.05), were lower in myotubes from severely obese women with type 2 diabetes. These data suggest that intramyocellular insulin-mediated glucose partitioning is intrinsically altered in the skeletal muscle of severely obese women with type 2 diabetes in a manner that favors the production of glycolytic end products. Defects in pyruvate dehydrogenase and tricarboxylic acid cycle may be responsible for this metabolic derangement associated with type 2 diabetes.

The therapeutic effects of edaravone on collagen-induced arthritis in rats.

Current research suggests that synovial phagocytic cells remove excessive amounts of free oxygen radicals (reactive oxygen species [ROS]), thereby preventing damage to synovial tissues. Moreover, ROS may affect the expression of growth arrest and DNA damage inducible α (GADD45A), thus further promoting the activation of synovial fibroblasts. Male adult rats were assessed for progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) using a macroscopic arthritis scoring system of the hind paws and by measuring the changes in the rat's body weight, and activity level before and after diagnosis of CIA. Rats were intraperitoneally injected twice daily with edaravone at doses of 3, 6, and 9 mL/kg. Samples were taken at 2, 4, and 6 weeks, respectively. Edaravone was found to significantly reduce macroscopic arthritis and microscopic pathology scores in CIA rats. The concentration of endothelial nitric oxide synthase-6, glutathione, and heme oxygenase-1 in the serum of rats decreased, as was the production of ROS around the synovium and inflammatory factors. Moreover, ROS-1 increased the expression of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 protein by altering the expression level of GADD45A, causing aggravation of tissue damage. Edaravone also significantly improved the physiological condition of CIA rats, including appetite, weight changes, and loss of fur, as well as limb mobility. We believe that edaravone acts to reduce the expression of NF-ĸB p65 by clearing ROS, which causes reduced expression of GADD45A, and subsequently reduces the level of apoptosis and inflammatory response proteins, thereby reducing the symptoms of CIA. We, therefore, propose that edaravone is an effective option for clinical treatment of rheumatic arthritis.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery restores insulin-mediated glucose partitioning and mitochondrial dynamics in primary myotubes from severely obese humans.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Impaired insulin-mediated glucose partitioning is an intrinsic metabolic defect in skeletal muscle from severely obese humans (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery has been shown to improve glucose metabolism in severely obese humans. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of RYGB surgery on glucose partitioning, mitochondrial network morphology, and the markers of mitochondrial dynamics skeletal muscle from severely obese humans. SUBJECT/METHODS: Human skeletal muscle cells were isolated from muscle biopsies obtained from RYGB patients (BMI = 48.0 ± 2.1, n = 7) prior to, 1 month and 7 months following surgery and lean control subjects (BMI = 22.4 ± 1.1, n = 7). Complete glucose oxidation, non-oxidized glycolysis rates, mitochondrial respiratory capacity, mitochondrial network morphology, and the regulatory proteins of mitochondrial dynamics were determined in differentiated human myotubes. RESULTS: Myotubes derived from severely obese humans exhibited enhanced glucose oxidation (13.5%; 95% CI [7.6, 19.4], P = 0.043) and reduced non-oxidized glycolysis (-1.3%; 95% CI [-11.1, 8.6]) in response to insulin stimulation at 7 months after RYGB when compared with the presurgery state (-0.6%; 95% CI [-5.2, 4.0] and 19.5%; 95% CI [4.0, 35.0], P = 0.006), and were not different from the lean controls (16.7%; 95% CI [11.8, 21.5] and 1.9%; 95% CI [-1.6, 5.4], respectively). Further, the number of fragmented mitochondria and Drp1(Ser616) phosphorylation were trended to reduce/reduced (0.0104, 95% CI [0.0085, 0.0126], P = 0.091 and 0.0085, 95% CI [0.0068, 0.0102], P = 0.05) in myotubes derived from severely obese humans at 7 months after RYGB surgery in comparison with the presurgery state. Finally, Drp1(Ser616) phosphorylation was negatively correlated with insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation (r = -0.49, P = 0.037). CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: These data indicate that an intrinsic metabolic defect of glucose partitioning in skeletal muscle from severely obese humans is restored by RYGB surgery. The restoration of glucose partitioning may be regulated through reduced mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 phosphorylation.

Plasma Lactate as a Marker for Metabolic Health.

Blood lactate concentrations traditionally have been used as an index of exercise intensity or clinical hyperlactatemia. However, more recent data suggest that fasting plasma lactate can also be indicative of the risk for subsequent metabolic disease. The hypothesis presented is that fasting blood lactate accumulation reflects impaired mitochondrial substrate use, which in turn influences metabolic disease risk.