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Special attention has been devoted to joint waveforms based on radar signals to mitigate the tension of spectrum resources and simultaneously play a multifunctional role. Aiming at the shortcomings of conventional detection and jamming dual-functional systems, where wide beams are difficult to detect with high accuracy, while narrow beams are difficult to cover a wide range of jamming, this letter designs a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)-synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system with jamming capabilities. The characteristic of this signal is to use MIMO system multiple antennas to transmit frequency diversity wideband code division jamming signals to effectively generate wideband suppression jamming for conventional radars, including frequency-agile radars. At the same time, the wide beam characteristics of MIMO antennas can ensure the physical range of jamming. In addition, for the imaging part, digital beamforming (DBF) technology can be used to form the beam in a specific direction at the receiving end, resulting in high resolution. Simulation experiments confirm the system’s ability to achieve high-resolution imaging of specific target areas while maintaining robust jamming capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small fraction of patients diagnosed with obesity or diabetes mellitus has an underlying monogenic cause. Here, we constructed a targeted gene panel consisting of 83 genes reported to be causative for monogenic obesity or diabetes. We performed this panel in 481 patients to detect causative variants and compared these results with whole-exome sequencing (WES) data available for 146 of these patients. The coverage of targeted gene panel sequencing was significantly higher than that of WES. The diagnostic yield in patients sequenced by the panel was 32.9% with subsequent WES leading to three additional diagnoses with two novel genes. In total, 178 variants in 83 genes were detected in 146 patients by targeted sequencing. Three of the 178 variants were missed by WES, although the WES-only approach had a similar diagnostic yield. For the 335 samples only receiving targeted sequencing, the diagnostic yield was 32.2%. In conclusion, taking into account the lower costs, shorter turnaround time, and higher quality of data, targeted sequencing is a more effective screening method for monogenic obesity and diabetes compared to WES. Therefore, this approach could be routinely established and used as a first-tier test in clinical practice for specific patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The goal of this study was to compare measures of weight regain (WR) and their association with the glucose metabolism deterioration within 3 years following bariatric surgery among Chinese patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Among a retrospective cohort of 249 patients with obesity and T2DM who underwent bariatric surgery and were followed up to 3 years, WR was assessed by weight changes, BMI changes, percentage of presurgery weight, percentage of nadir weight, and percentage of maximum weight lost (%MWL). Glucose metabolism deterioration was defined as a change from an absence of antidiabetic medication use to use, or absence of insulin use to use, or an increase in glycated hemoglobin by at least 0.5% to 5.7% or greater. Results: A comparison of C‐index of glucose metabolism deterioration indicated %MWL had better discriminatory ability versus weight change, BMI change, percentage of presurgery weight, or percentage of nadir weight (all p < 0.01). The %MWL also had the highest prediction accuracy. The optimal %MWL cutoff point was 20%. Conclusions: Among Chinese patients with obesity and T2DM who underwent bariatric surgery, WR quantified as %MWL predicted 3‐year postoperative glucose metabolism deterioration better than the alternatives; 20% MWL was the optimal cutoff point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A joint communication jamming waveform is proposed in this study based on the FBMC- chirp. To increase the number of false targets in a single pulse period, the chirp signal is modulated to different subcarrier groups. Since the subcarriers of the FBMC-OQAM signal are orthogonal, the signals are naturally orthogonal. This allows the transmitter and receiver to be separated and achieve multiple false target jamming, allowing the CFAR threshold to be raised by about 20 dB and protecting the target from detection. The ratio of the frequency shift of the designed jamming signal to the frequency modulation depends on the delay time, making the joint signal more robust in response to jamming and resistant to frequency modulation. The use of intercepted radar signals allowed channel estimation, providing high-speed digital transmission while ensuring multi-false-target jamming. The simulation results show that the joint signal has jamming effects on the pulse Doppler radar. The proposed FBMC chirp joint waveform requires about 20 dB less jamming signal ratio than the existing method, and thus the energy saved can ensure the robust performance of the communication subsystem in the joint communication jamming system. The proposed system has excelled in communication rate and bit error rate performance, ensuring that instructions are accurately and completely transmitted while implementing effective jamming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We explored whether visceral fat accumulation mediates the development of hepatic steatosis in individuals living with overweight and obesity. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 769 outpatients with overweight and obesity aged 18–65 years. The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was used to quantify the degree of hepatic steatosis. Visceral fat accumulation, represented by the visceral fat area (VFA), was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The associations of body mass index (BMI), VFA, and CAP with each other were assessed by univariate analysis, multivariate linear regression, and mediation analysis, respectively. Results: Compared with women, male subjects had higher BMI, VFA, and CAP levels. In both sex, CAP was positively correlated with BMI and VFA by the univariate analysis. After adjusting for demographic and serum characteristics, the linear correlation coefficients between BMI and CAP were 1.738 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.100, 2.377), 1.524 (95% CI: 0.798, 2.249), and 2.650 (95% CI: 1.292, 4.009) in all subjects, females, and males, respectively, while those between VFA and CAP were 0.190 (95% CI: 0.133, 0.247), 0.184 (95% CI: 0.117, 0.252), and 0.194 (95% CI: 0.086, 0.301). Mediation analysis showed that visceral fat accumulation contributed to 51.37%, 53.85%, and 26.51% of obesity-induced hepatic steatosis in the total, female, and male subjects, respectively. Conclusion: Visceral fat accumulation partially mediates obesity-induced hepatic steatosis in individuals with overweight and obesity, especially in women. More focus on visceral fat reduction is needed in individuals with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals are sensitive to Doppler shift, OFDM signals with cyclic prefix (CP) not only reduce the communication rate but also result in symmetric pseudo peaks in the ambiguity function of the radar, which eventually lead to the degradation of the performance of the joint radar communication system (JRCS). In this study, a novel JRCS is proposed based on the filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) waveform for the inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging and communication system. On the one hand, FBMC waveforms are capable of low orthogonality between subcarriers, which can counter Doppler and multipath effects. On the other hand, FBMC waveforms do not require CP, so the false targets can be avoided and spectral efficiency can be improved. The influence of multipath effect and Doppler shift on FBMC waveform in an integrated system is analysed in detail, and a Doppler compensation algorithm suitable for FBMC‐integrated waveform is proposed. The phase error caused by target motion can be iteratively compensated to obtain a well‐focussed ISAR image. Finally, considering the ISAR image entropy after motion compensation as the evaluation metric, extensive simulation experiments verify the noise robustness and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Compared with the conventional OFDM and CP‐OFDM schemes, the simulation verifies that the proposed waveform design and processing method has better performance in the ISAR imaging and communication integrated system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the expression of follistatin‐like 3 (FSTL3) in adipose tissue in individuals with overweight or obesity and to explore the role of FSTL3 in human adipocytes, as well as the relationship between serum FSTL3 levels and fat distribution and inflammation. Methods: This study enrolled 236 individuals (171 with overweight or obesity; aged 18–67 years). Bulk transcriptome sequencing was performed on subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue. The function of FSTL3 was studied in human adipocytes. Serum FSTL3 levels were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Adipose FTSL3 expression was higher in individuals with overweight or obesity than in individuals with normal weight. FSTL3 was mainly expressed in mature adipocytes and stimulated by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). FSTL3 suppressed inflammatory responses in human adipocytes, whereas FSTL3 knockdown promoted inflammatory responses. Serum FSTL3 levels were correlated with adipose FTSL3 expression and obesity‐related indicators (all p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum FSTL3 levels were independently associated with the visceral fat area and serum TNFα levels (both p < 0.05). Conclusions: FSTL3 was highly expressed in adipose tissue in individuals with overweight or obesity and could suppress adipocyte inflammation. Serum FSTL3 levels might be considered as a biomarker of visceral obesity and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background& Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether neck circumference (NC) could be used to predict future cardiovascular (CV) events in a community-based Chinese cohort.Methods and Results: We enrolled 1435 participants aged 50-80 years (men, 43.62%) from communities in Shanghai. High NC was defined as NC ≥ 38.5 cm in men and NC ≥ 34.5 cm in women. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression were performed to explore the association between NC and CV events. During a mean follow-up period of 7.6 years, 148 CV events (10.31%) occurred. The incidence of CV events was higher in men than in women (83 (13.26%) vs. 65 (8.03%), P = 0.002). Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analysis showed that for every 1-SD increase in NC in the whole population, the hazard ratio (HR) of CV events was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.83). The dose-response association between NC and CV events was significant in men (HR, 1.37, 95% CI, 1.10-1.71) but not in women (HR, 1.19, 95% CI, 0.94-1.52). In comparison with participants showing low baseline NC, those with high baseline NC showed a significantly higher risk of CV events (HR, 1.59, 95% CI, 1.14-2.22). Further stratified by sex, the positive association remained significant in men (HR, 1.90, 95% CI, 1.21-2.98) but not in women (HR, 1.25, 95% CI, 0.75-2.07).Conclusion: NC was significantly associated with the risk of future CV events in middle-aged and elderly populations in the community and was a better predictor in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose monitoring is an important component of diabetes management. The Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS) has been producing evidence‐based guidelines on the optimal use of glucose monitoring since 2011. In recent years, new technologies in glucose monitoring and more clinical evidence, especially those derived from Chinese populations, have emerged. In this context, the CDS organised experts to revise the Clinical application guidelines for blood glucose monitoring in China in 2021. In this guideline, we focus on four methods of glucose monitoring that are commonly used in clinical practice, including capillary glucose monitoring, glycated haemoglobin A1c, glycated albumin, and continuous glucose monitoring. We describe the definitions and technical characteristics of these methods, the factor that may interfere with the measurement, the advantages and caveats in clinical practice, the interpretation of glucose metrics, and the relevant supporting evidence. The recommendations for the use of these methods are also provided. The various methods of glucose monitoring have their strengths and limitations and cannot be replaced by one another. We hope that these guidelines could aid in the optimal application of common methods of glucose monitoring in clinical practice for better diabetes care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/introduction: We proposed a novel continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)‐based metric, area under the curve in range (AucIR), for integrating both the amplitude and duration of dysglycemia, and further compared AucIR with the emerging key CGM‐derived metric, time in range (TIR). Materials and methods: A total of 2,030 adult patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled during May 2020 to October 2021. AucIR and TIR were measured with 7‐day CGM data. Logistic regression analysis and the C‐statistic was carried out to assess the association of AucIR and TIR with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Results: Both AucIR (r = −0.89) and TIR (r = −0.95) were strongly correlated with mean glucose levels. Compared with TIR, AucIR showed a tighter relationship with parameters of glycemic variability, including the coefficient of variation (r = −0.56), standard deviation (r = −0.89) and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (r = −0.70). For each absolute 10% decrease in AucIR, the risk of DR was increased by 7% (95% confidence interval 1.02–1.13) after adjustment for confounders. With respect to TIR, each absolute 10% decrease was associated with an 8% (95% confidence interval 1.03–1.14) increased risk of DR. The model discrimination for DR, as measured by C‐statistic, did not differ significantly between the two metrics (P > 0.05). Conclusions: AucIR did not provide added benefit over TIR in the assessment of DR risk among patients with type 2 diabetes. The potential value of AucIR needs to be explored in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Neck circumference (NC), a proxy for upper-body subcutaneous fat, is closely related to metabolic dysfunction, independent of other obesity indices. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between NC and the incidence and remission of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), a novel concept proposed by an international consensus panel in 2020 through a community-based longitudinal cohort. Methods: This study included 1,549 community participants and was conducted from 2013 to 2016. MAFLD was diagnosed using the International Expert Consensus (2020) criteria. All participants underwent NC measurement and biochemical measurements. Elevated NC was defined as NC ≥38.5 cm in men and NC ≥34.5 cm in women. Results: A total of 1,549 subjects (638 men and 911 women), with an average age of 59.6 ± 7.3 years, were included. During a mean follow-up of 2.1 years, MAFLD occurred in 146 of the 870 participants without baseline MAFLD and was resolved in 225 of the 679 participants with baseline MAFLD. After adjusting for confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, and liver enzyme levels, multivariable logistic regression showed that higher NC at baseline was positively correlated with MAFLD occurrence (OR 1.96, 95% confidence interval: 1.21–3.31; p = 0.003) and negatively correlated with MAFLD remission (OR 0.57, 95% confidence interval: 0.40–0.80; p < 0.001). Conclusion: A higher NC is associated with an increased risk of MAFLD occurrence and a reduced probability of MAFLD remission, making NC measurement a potential predictor in MAFLD management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]