Recent technical advances in the detection of backscattered electrons during scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have improved resolution and have provided several new technologies for research and clinical practice in kidney disease. The advances include three-dimensional (3D) electron microscopy (3D-EM), correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), low-vacuum SEM (LVSEM), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). 3D-EM analysis used to be laborious, but recently three different technologies, serial block-face SEM, focused ion beam SEM, and array tomography, have made 3D-EM easier by automating sectioning and the subsequent image acquisition in an SEM. CLEM is a method to correlate light microscopic images, especially immunofluorescent and electron microscopy images, providing detailed ultrastructure of the area of interest where the immunofluorescent marker is located. LVSEM enables the use of SEM on materials with poor electron conductivity. For example, LVSEM makes it possible for high resolution, 3D observation of paraffin sections. Finally, STEM is a method to observe ultrathin sections with improved resolution by using the focused electron beam scanning used in SEM and not the broad electron beam used in transmission electron microscopy. These technical advances in electron microscopy are promising to provide plenty of novel insights for understanding the pathogenesis and diagnosis of various glomerular diseases.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis B in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2018. Methods The data were retrieved from the National Infectious Disease Surveillance Information Report Management System. Descriptive methods were used to analyze and summarize the results. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis of classification data, and Joinpoint software was used to analyze the annual change percentage and trend. Results A total of 292 674 cases of hepatitis B were reported in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2018, and the annual average reported incidence was 182.2 per 100,000. Chronic hepatitis B was the main type, accounting for 89.9%. The incidence rate of males (241.6 / 105) was higher than that of females (117.9 / 105), with a ratio of 2.0:1. During the period from 2006-2018, the reported incidence of hepatitis B in Guangzhou first increased, reached the highest in 2008, and then decreased year by year. There was no significant difference in the number of HBV cases among different months. The average onset age of hepatitis B reported in Guangzhou was 39.3 years old, and the average onset age increased year by year from 2006 to 2018. Conclusion The incidence rate of hepatitis B in Guangzhou has decreased since 2008, but it was still higher than the national average incidence rate. The hepatitis B infection in Guangzhou remains a big issue. It is suggested to further strengthen the prevention and control of hepatitis B in adults by maintaining a national immunization program for children, thereby reducing the epidemiological level of hepatitis B in Guangzhou.