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To detect moving weak targets in the dual function radar communication (DFRC) system of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform, a modified hybrid integration method is addressed in this paper. A high-speed aircraft can cause range walk (RW) and Doppler walk (DW), rendering traditional detection methods ineffective. To overcome RW and DW, this paper proposes an integration approach combining DFRC and OFDM. The proposed approach consists of two primary components: intra-frame coherent integration and hybrid multi-inter-frame integration. After the echo signal is re-fragmented into multiple subfragments, the first step involves integrating energy across fixed situations within intra-frames for each subcarrier. Subsequently, coherent integration is performed across the subfragments, followed by the application of a Radon transform (RT) to generate frames based on the properties derived from the coherent integration output. This paper provides detailed expressions and analyses for various performance metrics of our proposed method, including the communication bit error ratio (BER), responses of coherent and non-coherent outputs, and probability of detection. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional radar systems use fixed patterns and constant electromagnetic wave transmission to illuminate targets, but they often do not effectively use prior information about targets and consume significant radar resources. Cognitive radar has emerged as a way to improve resource efficiency and address these shortcomings. A joint waveform design and resource allocation strategy for cognitive radar that incorporates target situational awareness is proposed. This method integrates the interacting multiple model algorithm and the Unscented Kalman Particle Filter to achieve target situation awareness as prior knowledge. By combining the target attitude and the frequency response function of the target radar cross section at different time points in the prior knowledge, a joint beam control and power allocation strategy is formulated and transformed into an optimization problem. In addition, a cognitive pulse‐to‐pulse frequency agile waveform design method is proposed to support multiple target tracking under complex motion models. Simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in obtaining accurate target situation information, achieving beam control, and optimizing power allocation. The designed waveforms can enhance radar target detection performance and improve low probability of intercept characteristics by adjusting the pulse repetition interval. This method has significant technical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital agriculture serves as a pivotal means of ushering in innovative agricultural practices and achieving sustainable agricultural development. Although agricultural digitalization has received increasing attention, the unbalanced development and regional disparities of digital agriculture are still key obstacles to sustainable agricultural development. Based on the data of 31 provinces in China from 2013 to 2021, this study evaluates the development level of digital agriculture in China, and further analyzes the distribution pattern, spatial characteristics, and transition probabilities of digital agriculture from a regional perspective. The index system of the digital agriculture development level is constructed from five aspects: infrastructure, talent resources, agricultural informatization, the digitization of agricultural production processes, and agricultural production efficiency. Among these, infrastructure and talent resources reflect the resources needed for the development of digital agriculture; agricultural informatization and the digitization of the agricultural production process indicate the role of digitization in the process of agricultural development; and the agricultural production efficiency is the goal of the digital agriculture development, which is a critical criteria of its evaluation. The weighted analysis method of objective sequential analysis, which combines the dynamic level of indicators and sequential relationships, is used to assign weights to the indicators. In addition, to address the regional disparities in the development level of digital agriculture, kernel density estimation, Moran's index, and (spatial) Markov chain analysis are applied to analyze the spatial dynamic evolution of digital agriculture in China. The findings reveal substantial regional disparities in digital agriculture development within China, particularly in the Western region, where development lags behind. Moreover, this study offers actionable policy recommendations for policymakers to strengthen regional infrastructure and talent cultivation, as well as other aspects of digital agriculture development, to mitigate regional differences and provide reference for other emerging countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative approach to high-sensitivity simultaneous intensity and direction measurement in a two-channel tapered sensor is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor is comprised of magnetic fluid (MF)- filled micro-capillary and two accompanying micro-fiber, thus enabling evanescent interaction to take place between the optical mode in the capillary and MF. Given the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of MF manifest anisotropic magnetic field. Experimental and numerical simulations were performed simultaneously, which provided a better understanding of the interaction between light and MF in addition to clarifying the dynamic process of MNPs within MF with the assistance of varying magnetic field. The experimental results are well consistent with the numerical simulation results and show that the sensitivity of this sensor reaches up to 244 pm/mT, with the direction error being merely ±1.4°. Therefore, the proposed sensor exhibits a unique sensitivity for the measurement of magnetic field intensity and direction in 3D space, which makes it best suitable for applications in transportation, medicine, and smart device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti-tumor immune response is greatly hindered by the protumor polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Cancer-related inflammation plays a central role in TAMs protumor polarization. Our study explored the unique positive feedback loop between inflammasome and complement in TAMs. The present study identified NOD-like receptors family pyrin domain containing 12 (NLRP12) formed positive feedback with C1qA and drove TAMs protumor polarization via the LILRB4/NF-κB pathway. In addition, NLRP12 was predominantly expressed in TAMs and was associated with poorer prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients. Knocking down LILRB4 inhibited TAMs protumor polarization. NLRP12-overexpressing TAMs promoted tumor cells' malignant progression and inhibited T cells' proliferation and cytotoxic function. Lastly, NLRP12 knockout (NLRP12 -/- ) reversed macrophage polarization, enhanced T-cell anti-tumor immunity, and suppressed tumor growth. Our findings highlighted the essential role of NLRP12/C1qA positive feedback loop and the LILRB4/NF-κB pathway in promoting TAMs protumor polarization. Inhibition of NLRP12 suppressed tumor development and promoted immune response. NLRP12 may be a promising target for LUAD immunotherapy., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interests. Ethical approval All animal experiments were approved by the Committee of Animal Care and Use of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, under the consent number WDRM 20240405B, and were performed following the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Consent to publish Not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Monoclonal antibodies against programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) have emerged as critical tools in cancer treatment. However, concerns regarding their potential cutaneous and mucosal toxicity, along with severe complications, have drawn clinical attention. Further research is warranted to investigate the adverse reactions and treatment strategies associated with PD-1 monoclonal antibodies., Methods: We present a detailed case report of a laryngeal cancer patient who developed toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) after treatment with PD-1 monoclonal antibody. We analyzed the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment approaches by integrating clinical manifestations, pathological examinations, and literature research., Results: After PD-1 monoclonal antibody therapy, the patient exhibited systemic rash, bullae, and epidermal detachment, which subsequently involved the tracheal and bronchial mucosa, resulting in dyspnea. The patient recovered after treatments with steroids, macrolides, immunoglobulins, and etanercept, along with repeated removal of scabs via bronchoscopy. Literature reviewing suggests a potential association between PD-1 monoclonal antibodies and the pathogenesis of Steven Johnson's Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), possibly due to immune dysregulation. Treatment consists of immediate discontinuation of suspicious drugs, essential supportive therapy, and systemic corticosteroid administration, with the addition of immunosuppressants and/or immunoglobulins needed., Conclusion: The mucocutaneous toxicity induced by PD-1 monoclonal antibodies is not limited to the surface of the skin but also in deep mucosal layers, potentially leading to life-threatening complications. Therefore, when using PD-1 monoclonal antibodies, clinicians should closely monitor adverse events and apply appropriate treatments as soon as possible to prevent severe complications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Fu, Song, Gao, Wang and Zhang.)

Background: There is a lack of readily available clinical markers of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) immunotherapy efficacy. Previous studies have found that overexpressed complement component 1q (C1q) promotes macrophage M2 polarization and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum C1q and the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced NSCLC., Methods: A total of 168 patients with advanced NSCLC who received ICIs in the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were included in this study. Serum C1q levels were collected before and 3 weeks after immunotherapy treatment, together with other data on clinical and demographic characteristics. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) (months from first dose of ICIs to death, censored at date of last follow-up). Secondary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) [defined as months from first dose of ICIs to clinical or radiographic progression by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) or death, censored at date of last follow-up] and objective response rate (ORR) which was defined as rate of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) at best response by RECIST 1.1., Results: A total of 168 patients were included in this study, including 127 males (75.60%) and 41 females (24.40%). Thirty-nine patients achieved objective response (2 CR, 37 PR), and 111 patients (66.07%) had stable disease (SD) as best response. The ORR was 23.21% and the disease control rate was 89.28%. The upward trends of serum C1q levels between baseline and post-treatment were strongly associated with the shorter PFS [hazard ratio (HR) =1.554, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-2.10, P=0.01] and OS (HR =1.444, 95% CI: 1.01-1.98, P=0.03). Moreover, taking the median OS 18.9 months as the cut-off of prognosis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that serum baseline C1q yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.785 (95% CI: 0.711-0.869). The optimal serum baseline C1q cut-off point to predict immunotherapy prognosis was 216.2 mg/L., Conclusions: These findings suggested that elevated serum C1q after ICIs treatment was related to a worse prognosis in NSCLC. Monitoring the baseline and dynamic data of C1q during hospitalization showed the potential to predict the prognosis of NSCLC patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-24-304/coif). H.A. receives consulting fees from Astra Zeneca, payment for lectures from Takeda, gets support for attending meetings from MSD, Roche, Angelini Pharma, BMS, and takes charge of clinical trial coordination for Ferrer, outside this study. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)