Time-of-flight resolved light field fluctuations reveal deep human tissue physiology.

Red blood cells (RBCs) transport oxygen to tissues and remove carbon dioxide. Diffuse optical flowmetry (DOF) assesses deep tissue RBC dynamics by measuring coherent fluctuations of multiply scattered near-infrared light intensity. While classical DOF measurements empirically correlate with blood flow, they remain far-removed from light scattering physics and difficult to interpret in layered media. To advance DOF measurements closer to the physics, here we introduce an interferometric technique, surmounting challenges of bulk motion to apply it in awake humans. We reveal two measurement dimensions: optical phase, and time-of-flight (TOF), the latter with 22 picosecond resolution. With this multidimensional data, we directly confirm the unordered, or Brownian, nature of optically probed RBC dynamics typically assumed in classical DOF. We illustrate how incorrect absorption assumptions, anisotropic RBC scattering, and layered tissues may confound classical DOF. By comparison, our direct method enables accurate and comprehensive assessment of blood flow dynamics in humans

Overexpression of ERBB-2 was more frequently detected in malignant than benign pheochromocytomas by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and immunohistochemistry

To analyze the genetic alterations of pheochromocytomas and evaluate the difference among malignant, extra-adrenal, and benign pheochromocytomas. Forty-three tumor samples were tested for genetic changes using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. Among them, 39 samples were available for protein expression analysis by immunohistochemistry (IHC). All 43 patients (24 women and 19 men; mean age 44.6±13.6 years; range 18–75 years; 9 with malignant, 7 extra-adrenal, and 27 benign) showed multiple copy number losses or gains. The average copy number change was 13.10 in malignant, 13.93 in benign, and 13.47 in paraganglioma patients. There is no significant difference among the three groups of pheochromocytomas. However, we discovered that in the malignant pheochromocytomas, 6 of the 9 patients (67%) showed erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (ERBB-2) oncogene gain, whereas only 12 of the 34 (35%) identified change in the benign and extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas. Further, IHC confirmed that ERBB-2-positive staining was more frequent and stronger in malignant pheochromocytomas than in benign and extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas. Our study illustrates the chromosomal changes of the whole genome of Chinese pheochromocytoma patients. The results suggest that there may be certain progression of genetic events that involves chromosomes 1p, 3p, 6p, 11q, 12q, 17q, and 19q in the development of pheochromocytomas, and the activation of ERBB-2 located on chromosome 17q is an important and early event in the malignancy development of these tumor types. The overexpression of ERBB-2 identified by IHC suggested that this oncogene could be associated with the malignancy of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas

Indian Summer Monsoon variations and competing influences between hemispheres since ~35 ka recorded in Tengchongqinghai Lake, southwest China

The southwestern Yunnan Province of China, which is located at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and close to Bay of Bengal, is significantly influenced by the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM). In this study, we reconstruct proxies for the ISM from 35 to 1 ka through detailed analysis of grain-size distribution, geochemical composition and environmental magnetism from a 7.96 m sediment core from Tengchongqinghai Lake, Yunnan Province, China. Globally recognized, abrupt climatic events, including Heinrich Events 0–3 (H0−H3) and the Bølling-Allerød (B/A) warm period are identified in most of our proxies, and the long-term trend is consistent with other published records such as stalagmite oxygen isotopes (δ18O) from Sangxing Cave. Northern Hemisphere (NH) temperature, which is influenced by NH solar insolation, is commonly suggested to play a dominant role in controlling the ISM. A comparison of our record with the δ18O variations of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica, a sea surface temperature (SST) record from the Bay of Bengal, and summer solar insolation at 25°N latitude demonstrates that the general pattern of ISM change does follow variations in summer insolation; however, the ISM lags summer insolation by thousands of years. While the ISM fluctuations are highly correlated with NH temperature on shorter timescales (centennial-millennial), the gradually weakened ISM from 22.5 ka until the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) indicates a close relationship with the rise of Southern Hemisphere (SH) temperature and the relatively cold background of the SH. Our record expands on the findings of ISM records from Heqing paleolake basin in southwestern China and the Arabian Sea sediments, suggesting that the NH and SH have a competitive influence on ISM by controlling the cross-equatorial pressure gradient. This relationship means that when NH temperatures are relatively high, it has a stronger influence on the ISM than SH influences. In contrast, when the SH temperature is relatively low, it has a dominant influence on ISM. In addition, we speculate that the change of SH temperature not only influences the cross-equatorial pressure gradient directly, but also likely modulates the circulation system of ocean energy by influencing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)

Decoupled Indian summer monsoon intensity and effective moisture since the last glaciation in Southwest China

Effective moisture (EM) distribution in the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) region is strongly related to regional topography. An understanding of climate change and the interactions between climate variables can help predict future climate variations. Here, we reconstruct a stack EM record for Southwest China over the past 90 kyr using environmental magnetism in lake sediment. The EM in Southwest China at the orbital scale was closely linked to precession-induced change in North Hemisphere solar insolation, as well as the ISM variability. However, at the glacial-interglacial scale, it was decoupled with ISM intensity, being wetter during glacial periods (weakened ISM) and drier during interglacial periods (enhanced ISM). Combined with modern meteorological observations, we suggest that the topographical barrier effect and temperature induced dryness are responsible for the decoupling between ISM intensity and EM. The terrestrial topography and temperature strongly influence EM distribution by altering the dynamics of onshore airflow and evapotranspiration

Effects of a low-sodium diet in patients with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIdiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) is one of the most common types of primary aldosteronism (PA), an important cause of hypertension. Although high dietary sodium is a major risk factor for hypertension, there is no consensus on the recommended dietary sodium intake for IHA.ObjectiveThis study investigated the effect of a low-sodium diet on hemodynamic variables and relevant disease biomarkers in IHA patients, with the aim of providing a useful reference for clinical treatment.MethodsFifty IHA patients were evenly randomized into two groups and provided, after a 7-day run-in period (100 mmol/d sodium), either a low-sodium diet (50 mmol/d sodium) or a normal sodium diet (100 mmol/d sodium) for an additional 7 days. After the 14-day intervention (conducted without potassium supplementation), changes in blood pressure (BP) and serum potassium were evaluated in both groups.ResultsAfter the dietary intervention, the low sodium group exhibited, compared to the normal sodium group, decreased BP (SBP: 121.8 ± 12.8 vs. 129.9 ± 12.1 mmHg, p < 0.05; DBP: 82.6 ± 7.6 vs. 86.4 ± 8.2 mmHg, p < 0.05; MAP: 95.7 ± 8.8 vs. 100.9 ± 8.4 mmHg, p < 0.05) and increased serum potassium levels (3.38 ± 0.33 vs. 3.07 ± 0.27 mmol/L, p < 0.001). The low sodium group showed also better control of both BP and serum potassium: BP <140/90 mmHg in 70.0% of total patients (76.0% vs. 64.0%, in the low and normal sodium groups, respectively; p > 0.05), BP <130/85 mmHg in 38.0% of total patients (56.0% vs. 20.0%, p < 0.05), BP <120/80 mmHg in 28.0% of total patients (44.0% vs. 12.0%, p < 0.05); serum potassium ≥3.5 mmol/L in 22.0% of total patients (32.0% vs. 12.0% in the low and normal sodium groups, respectively; p = 0.088). There were differences between the controlled BP group (<120/80 mmHg) and the non-controlled BP group (≥120/80 mmHg) in gender, BP at baseline, and type of diet (low vs. normal sodium). Female gender and low-sodium diet were protective factors for BP control.ConclusionsA low-sodium diet is effective in lowering BP and elevating serum potassium in IHA patients. Female patients on a low-sodium diet are more likely to achieve BP control (<120/80 mmHg). We advocate a dietary sodium intake of 50 mmol/d for IHA patients.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier NCT05649631