Chip-based photonic radar for high-resolution imaging

Radar is the only sensor that can realize target imaging at all time and all weather, which would be a key technical enabler for future intelligent society. Poor resolution and large size are two critical issues for radars to gain ground in civil applications. Conventional electronic radars are difficult to address both issues especially in the relatively low-frequency band. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, a chip-based photonic radar based on silicon photonic platform, which can implement high resolution imaging with very small footprint. Both the wideband signal generator and the de-chirp receiver are integrated on the chip. A broadband photonic imaging radar occupying the full Ku band is experimentally established. A high precision range measurement with a resolution of 2.7 cm and an error of less than 2.75 mm is obtained. Inverse synthetic aperture (ISAR) imaging of multiple targets with complex profiles are also implemented.Comment: 4 pages, 6figure

A Survey on Visual Mamba

State space models (SSM) with selection mechanisms and hardware-aware architectures, namely Mamba, have recently shown significant potential in long-sequence modeling. Since the complexity of transformers’ self-attention mechanism is quadratic with image size, as well as increasing computational demands, researchers are currently exploring how to adapt Mamba for computer vision tasks. This paper is the first comprehensive survey that aims to provide an in-depth analysis of Mamba models within the domain of computer vision. It begins by exploring the foundational concepts contributing to Mamba’s success, including the SSM framework, selection mechanisms, and hardware-aware design. Then, we review these vision Mamba models by categorizing them into foundational models and those enhanced with techniques including convolution, recurrence, and attention to improve their sophistication. Furthermore, we investigate the widespread applications of Mamba in vision tasks, which include their use as a backbone in various levels of vision processing. This encompasses general visual tasks, medical visual tasks (e.g., 2D/3D segmentation, classification, image registration, etc.), and remote sensing visual tasks. In particular, we introduce general visual tasks from two levels: high/mid-level vision (e.g., object detection, segmentation, video classification, etc.) and low-level vision (e.g., image super-resolution, image restoration, visual generation, etc.). We hope this endeavor will spark additional interest within the community to address current challenges and further apply Mamba models in computer vision

Clinical prediction of insufficient vaults after implantable collamer lens implantation

AIM: To determine the factors related to preoperative ocular characters that are predictive of insufficient vault (<250 μm) after implantable collamer lens (ICL V4c; STAAR Surgical) implantation. METHODS: The participants underwent ICL surgery and were divided into the low (<250 μm) and normal (250-1000 μm) vault groups based on the postoperative vault at 3mo. The preoperative biometric parameters and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. The relationship between the 3-month vault values and preoperative ocular parameters were evaluated by Generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Sixteen (23 eyes) and 36 patients (63 eyes) were in the low and normal vault groups, respectively. All implantation procedures were uneventful with no cataract formation in the early postoperative period. The sulcus-to-sulcus lens rise (STSL) and iris ciliary angle (ICA) were correlated with vault at 3mo after surgery. Every 0.1 mm increase in STSL was associated with 38.9 μm decrease in the postoperative 3-month vault. A rise of 1 degree in ICA is associated with a reduction of 4 μm in vault. CONCLUSION: Eyes with a narrow ciliary sulcus are associated with a higher rate of low vault after ICL implantation, suggesting a need for adjustments to the ICL size in these patients. Evaluating the characteristics of the ciliary sulcus contributes valuable information to predict low vault after surgery

Causal relationships between type 2 diabetes, glycemic traits and keratoconus

PurposeThe relationship between diabetes mellitus and keratoconus remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the potential causal relationships among type 2 diabetes, glycemic traits, and the risk of keratoconus.MethodsWe used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design based on genome-wide association summary statistics. Fasting glucose, proinsulin levels, adiponectin, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and type 2 diabetes with and without body mass index (BMI) adjustment were used as exposures and keratoconus was used as the outcome. MR analysis was performed using the inverse-variance weighted method, MR-Egger regression method, weighted-mode method, weighted median method and the MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier test (PRESSO).ResultsResults showed that genetically predicted lower fasting glucose were significantly associated with a higher risk of keratoconus [IVW: odds ratio (OR) = 0.382; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.261–0.560; p = 8.162 × 10−7]. Genetically predicted lower proinsulin levels were potentially linked to a higher risk of keratoconus (IVW: OR = 0.739; 95% CI = 0.568–0.963; p = 0.025). In addition, genetically predicted type 2 diabetes negatively correlated with keratoconus (IVW: BMI-unadjusted: OR = 0.869; 95% CI = 0.775–0.974, p = 0.016; BMI-adjusted: OR = 0.880, 95% CI = 0.789–0.982, p = 0.022). These associations were further corroborated by the evidence from all sensitivity analyses.ConclusionThese findings provide genetic evidence that higher fasting glucose levels are associated with a lower risk of keratoconus. However, further studies are required to confirmed this hypothesis and to understand the mechanisms underlying this putative causative relationship

Study of H2S Removal Capability from Simulated Biogas by Using Waste-Derived Adsorbent Materials

Funding: This work was part of the research activities carried out in the framework of the “European Biofuels Research Infrastructure for Sharing Knowledge 2 (BRISK2)” project under grant agreement 731101 (https://brisk2.eu/) and the European Commission is acknowledged for co-funding the work.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Effect of Kang Fu Yan capsule on phenol mucilage-induced intrauterine adhesion injury in female rats

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Kang fu yan capsule (KFYC) on phenol mucilage-induced intrauterine adhesion (IUA) in a rat model, and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: An IUA model was established by injecting 0.06 mL of 25 % phenol mucilage into the uterus of female Sprague-Dawley rats. The IUA model rats (n=59) were randomly divided into 5 groups: IUA group, fuke qianjin tablet group (FKQJT, 0.22 mg/kg), and 3 KFYC groups given different doses of the drug i.e. 0.13, 0.39and 1.17 mg/kg. A group of 10 healthy female rats served as control. After 19 days treatment, blood samples were collected for determination of IL-2 and IL-10 by ELISA, while uterine tissues were subjected to histological examination using hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&amp;E) and Masson staining. Expressions of Notch1, recombination signal binding protein-JK (RBP-JK), a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM)-12, ADAM-15, matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9), and inhibitor of NF-κB (IĸB) in uterine tissues were determined using RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. Results: Compared to IUA group, histological results showed reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in rat uterine tissue of KFYC group. Moreover, KFYC significantly reversed uterine fibrosis (p &lt; 0.05). Serum concentrations of IL-2 significantly decreased in KFYC groups (p &lt; 0.05 or p &lt; 0.01), and there was significant increases the serum concentrations of IL-10 in KFYC groups (p &lt; 0.05 or &lt; 0.01), when compared to IUA group. The mRNA and protein expressions of Notch1, RBP-JK, ADAM-12, ADAM-15, MMP-9 were also significantly down-regulated (p &lt; 0.05), while protein expression of IĸB was upregulated in KFYC group, when compared to IUA group. Conclusion: KFYC exerts an anti-IUA effect via amelioration of uterine inflammation and fibrosis, probably via a mechanism involving regulation of Notch1/ADAM pathway

FOXD1 Promotes Cell Growth and Metastasis by Activation of Vimentin in NSCLC

Background/Aims: Forkhead box D1 (FOXD1) has a well-established role in early embryonic development and organogenesis and functions as an oncogene in several cancers. However, the clinical significance and biological roles of FOXD1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain largely unknown. Methods: A total of 264 primary NSCLC tissue samples were collected. The expression levels of FOXD1 in these samples were examined by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of FOXD1 was knocked down by lentiviral shRNA. The relative expression of FOXD1 was determined by qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence image. The functional roles of FOXD1 in NSCLC were demonstrated cell viability CCK-8 assay, colony formation, cell invasion and migration assays, and cell apoptosis assay in vitro. In vivo mouse xenograft and metastasis models were used to assess tumorigenicity and metastatic ability. The Chi-square test was used to assess the correlation between FOXD1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics. Survival curves were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: We determined that higher levels of FOXD1 were present in NSCLC tissues, especially in metastatic NSCLC tissues. FOXD1 was also higher in all NSCLC cells compared with normal human bronchial epithelial cells. A higher expression level of FOXD1 was associated with malignant behavior and poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. Knockdown of FOXD1 significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, and it increased the apoptosis rates of NSCLC cells. Mechanistic analyses revealed that FOXD1 expressed its oncogenic characteristics through activating Vimentin in NSCLC. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that FOXD1 was an independent prognostic factor both for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in NSCLC patients. Conclusion: Our results indicated that FOXD1 might be involved in the development and progression of NSCLC as an oncogene, and thereby might be a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC patients

MAPK-dependent hormonal signaling plasticity contributes to overcoming Bacillus thuringiensis toxin action in an insect host

The arms race between entomopathogenic bacteria and their insect hosts is an excellent model for decoding the intricate coevolutionary processes of host-pathogen interaction. Here, we demonstrate that the MAPK signaling pathway is a general switch to trans-regulate differential expression of aminopeptidase N and other midgut genes in an insect host, diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), thereby countering the virulence effect of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins. Moreover, the MAPK cascade is activated and fine-tuned by the crosstalk between two major insect hormones, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone (JH) to elicit an important physiological response (i.e. Bt resistance) without incurring the significant fitness costs often associated with pathogen resistance. Hormones are well known to orchestrate physiological trade-offs in a wide variety of organisms, and our work decodes a hitherto undescribed function of these classic hormones and suggests that hormonal signaling plasticity is a general cross-kingdom strategy to fend off pathogens

QQS orphan gene regulates carbon and nitrogen partitioning across species via NF-YC interactions

The allocation of carbon and nitrogen resources to the synthesis of plant proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids is complex and under the control of many genes; much remains to be understood about this process. QQS (Qua-Quine Starch; At3g30720), an orphan gene unique to Arabidopsis thaliana, regulates metabolic processes affecting carbon and nitrogen partitioning among proteins and carbohydrates, modulating leaf and seed composition in Arabidopsis and soybean. Here the universality of QQS function in modulating carbon and nitrogen allocation is exemplified by a series of transgenic experiments. We show that ectopic expression of QQS increases soybean protein independent of the genetic background and original protein content of the cultivar. Furthermore, transgenic QQS expression increases the protein content of maize, a C4 species (a species that uses 4-carbon photosynthesis), and rice, a protein-poor agronomic crop, both highly divergent from Arabidopsis. We determine that QQS protein binds to the transcriptional regulator AtNF-YC4 (Arabidopsis nuclear factor Y, subunit C4). Overexpression of AtNF-YC4 in Arabidopsis mimics the QQS-overexpression phenotype, increasing protein and decreasing starch levels. NF-YC, a component of the NF-Y complex, is conserved across eukaryotes. The NF-YC4 homologs of soybean, rice, and maize also bind to QQS, which provides an explanation of how QQS can act in species where it does not occur endogenously. These findings are, to our knowledge, the first insight into the mechanism of action of QQS in modulating carbon and nitrogen allocation across species. They have major implications for the emergence and function of orphan genes, and identify a nontransgenic strategy for modulating protein levels in crop species, a trait of great agronomic significance

The genomic and bulked segregant analysis of \u3ci\u3eCurcuma alismatifolia\u3c/i\u3e revealed its diverse bract pigmentation

Compared with most flowers where the showy part comprises specialized leaves (petals) directly subtending the reproductive structures, most Zingiberaceae species produce showy ‘‘flowers’’ through modifications of leaves (bracts) subtending the true flowers throughout an inflorescence. Curcuma alismatifolia, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, a plant species originating from Southeast Asia, has become increasingly popular in the flower market worldwide because of its varied and esthetically pleasing bracts produced in different cultivars. Here, we present the chromosome-scale genome assembly of C. alismatifolia ‘‘Chiang Mai Pink’’ and explore the underlying mechanisms of bract pigmentation. Comparative genomic analysis revealed C. alismatifolia contains a residual signal of wholegenome duplication. Duplicated genes, including pigment-related genes, exhibit functional and structural differentiation resulting in diverse bract colors among C. alismatifolia cultivars. In addition, we identified the key genes that produce different colored bracts in C. alismatifolia, such as F3\u275’H, DFR, ANS and several transcription factors for anthocyanin synthesis, as well as chlH and CAO in the chlorophyll synthesis pathway by conducting transcriptomic analysis, bulked segregant analysis using both DNA and RNA data, and population genomic analysis. This work provides data for understanding the mechanism of bract pigmentation and will accelerate breeding in developing novel cultivars with richly colored bracts in C. alismatifolia and related species. It is also important to understand the variation in the evolution of the Zingiberaceae family