Search

Abstract Cracks in tunnel lining structures constitute a common and serious problem that jeopardizes the safety of traffic and the durability of the tunnel. The similarity between lining seams and cracks in terms of strength and morphological characteristics renders the detection of cracks in tunnel lining structures challenging. To address this issue, a new deep learning-based method for crack detection in tunnel lining structures is proposed. First, an improved attention mechanism is introduced for the morphological features of lining seams, which not only aggregates global spatial information but also features along two dimensions, height and width, to mine more long-distance feature information. Furthermore, a mixed strip convolution module leveraging four different directions of strip convolution is proposed. This module captures remote contextual information from various angles to avoid interference from background pixels. To evaluate the proposed approach, the two modules are integrated into a U-shaped network, and experiments are conducted on Tunnel200, a tunnel lining crack dataset, as well as the publicly available crack datasets Crack500 and DeepCrack. The results show that the approach outperforms existing methods and achieves superior performance on these datasets.

Abstract Background Arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) is a chronic arterial disease that can lead to critical limb ischemia. Endovascular therapy is increasingly used for limb salvage in ASO patients, but the outcomes vary. The development of prediction models using unsupervised machine learning may lead to the identification of novel subtypes to guide patient prognosis and treatment. Methods This retrospective study analyzed clinical data from 448 patients with ASOs who underwent endovascular therapy. Unsupervised machine learning algorithms were employed to identify subgroups. To validate the precision of the clustering outcomes, an analysis of the postoperative results of the clusters was conducted. A prediction model was constructed using binary logistic regression. Results Two distinct subgroups were identified by unsupervised machine learning and characterized by differing patterns of clinical features. Patients in Cluster 2 had significantly worse conditions and prognoses than those in Cluster 1. For the novel ASO subtypes, a nomogram was developed using six predictive factors, namely, platelet count, ankle brachial index, Rutherford category, operation method, hypertension, and diabetes status. The nomogram achieved excellent discrimination for predicting membership in the two identified clusters, with an area under the curve of 0.96 and 0.95 in training cohort and internal test cohort. Conclusion This study demonstrated that unsupervised machine learning can reveal novel phenotypic subgroups of patients with varying prognostic risk who underwent endovascular therapy. The prediction model developed could support clinical decision-making and risk counseling for this complex patient population. Further external validation is warranted to assess the generalizability of the findings.

Abstract Aim This study was conducted in Urumqi, Xinjiang, to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia and to determine the relationship between physical activity, nutritional status, and sarcopenia among community-dwelling patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods Four hundred eight cases of older people patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the community in Urumqi, Xinjiang, from May to August 2022 were selected for a cross-sectional on-site survey, and general information questionnaires, clinical information surveys, physical function measurements, and criteria developed by the Asian sarcopenia working group in 2019 were selected for diagnosis of sarcopenia, and unifactorial and multifactorial binary Logistic regression were applied to analyze the influencing factors of T2DM combined with sarcopenia in patients with sarcopenia. Results Among the 408 patients, 84 (20.6%) had sarcopenia, with a prevalence of 12.6%, 32.1%, and 51.9% in those aged 60–70, 71– 80, and 81 or older respectively. The prevalence increased significantly with age. Adjusting for variables, the study found that FFM of the Left Leg (OR: 0.710, 95% CI: 0.612–0.804, P = 0.024), FFM of the Right Arm (OR: 0.710, 95% CI: 0.612–0.804, P

Abstract Objectives This study aims to elucidate the transcriptomic signatures and dysregulated pathways in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), with a particular focus on those persisting during disease remission. Methods We conducted bulk RNA-sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a well-defined cohort comprising 26 remission patients meeting the Low Lupus Disease Activity State (LLDAS) criteria, 76 patients experiencing disease flares, and 15 healthy controls. To elucidate immune signature changes associated with varying disease states, we performed extensive analyses, including the identification of differentially expressed genes and pathways, as well as the construction of protein-protein interaction networks. Results Several transcriptomic features recovered during remission compared to the active disease state, including down-regulation of plasma and cell cycle signatures, as well as up-regulation of lymphocytes. However, specific innate immune response signatures, such as the interferon (IFN) signature, and gene modules involved in chromatin structure modification, persisted across different disease states. Drug repurposing analysis revealed certain drug classes that can target these persistent signatures, potentially preventing disease relapse. Conclusion Our comprehensive transcriptomic study revealed gene expression signatures for SLE in both active and remission states. The discovery of gene expression modules persisting in the remission stage may shed light on the underlying mechanisms of vulnerability to relapse in these patients, providing valuable insights for their treatment.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Mongolian medicine Mingmu-11 Pills combined with conbercept in the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration(wARMD).METHODS: Prospective study. All cases in this study were wARMD patients(72 cases, 72 eyes)admitted to the Ophthalmology Department of Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University from November 2020 to December 2021. They were randomly divided into a combined treatment group and a control group, each with 36 eyes, and the control group received intravitreal injection of conbercept 0.05 mL for 3 consecutive months. The combined treatment group was given Mingmu-11 Pills twice a day after surgery, with 3 wk as a course of treatment, a total of 3 courses, and the control group was not given Mongolian medicine treatment. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), changes in central macular thickness(CMT)in the macular area, and changes in N1, P1 wave amplitude density and latency were observed after treatment in both groups.RESULTS:The BCVA(letter number)of the two groups were improved(P0.05). In addition, the amplitude density of N1 and P1 wave in the combined treatment group was higher than that in the control group at 3 mo after treatment(P0.05).CONCLUSIONS:Mingmu-11 Pills combined with intravitreal injection of conbercept in the treatment of wARMD has obvious efficacy in improving vision and reducing macular edema.

Abstract Introduction Recent studies have suggested a potential association between methotrexate use and an increased risk of dementia. However, the causal relationship between methotrexate and dementia remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential causal effect of methotrexate use on the risk of dementia using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) approach. Methods We conducted a TSMR study using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of methotrexate use and dementia. We obtained genetic instruments for methotrexate use from a large-scale GWAS meta-analysis and genetic instruments for dementia from a separate GWAS meta-analysis. We performed several statistical analyses, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median (WM1), weighted mode (WM2), and MR-Egger regression methods, to estimate the causal effect of methotrexate on dementia risk. Results Our TSMR analysis showed a significant positive association between genetic predisposition to methotrexate use and dementia risk. The IVW method estimated a causal odds ratio (OR) of 0.476 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.362–0.626] per unit increase in the log odds ratio of methotrexate use. WM1, WM2, and MR-Egger methods provided consistent results. Conclusion The findings of this mendelian randomization (MR) study suggest a potential causal effect of methotrexate use on the risk of dementia. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms. Since methotrexate is widely prescribed for various autoimmune diseases, a better understanding of its potential impact on dementia risk is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies and addressing potential adverse effects.

Abstract Background Pigeon circovirus infections in pigeons (Columba livia domestica) have been reported worldwide. Pigeons should be PiCV-free when utilized as qualified experimental animals. However, pigeons can be freely purchased as experimental animals without any clear guidelines to follow. Herein, we investigated the status quo of PiCV infections on a pigeon farm in Beijing, China, which provides pigeons for experimental use. Results PiCV infection was verified in at least three types of tissues in all forty pigeons tested. A total of 29 full-length genomes were obtained and deposited in GenBank. The whole genome sequence comparison among the 29 identified PiCV strains revealed nucleotide homologies of 85.8–100%, and these sequences exhibited nucleotide homologies of 82.7–98.9% as compared with those of the reference sequences. The cap gene displayed genetic diversity, with a wide range of amino acid homologies ranging from 64.5% to 100%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 29 full-genome sequences revealed that the PiCV strains in this study could be further divided into four clades: A (17.2%), B (10.4%), C (37.9%) and D (34.5%). Thirteen recombination events were also detected in 18 out of the 29 PiCV genomes obtained in this study. Phylogenetic research using the rep and cap genes verified the recombination events, which occurred between clades A/F, A/B, C/D, and B/D among the 18 PiCV strains studied. Conclusions In conclusion, PiCV infection, which is highly genetically varied, is extremely widespread on pigeon farms in Beijing. These findings indicate that if pigeons are to be used as experimental animals, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of PiCV infection on the results.

Objective To preliminarily investigate the role of thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) on medial entorhinal cortex (MEC)-related spatial memory and its mechanism. Methods Retrobeads-mediated retrograde tracing and anterograde tracing were used to identify the morphological connections between RE and MEC brain regions. Then in vivo fiber photometry was used to record and analyze the activities of REMEC-projecting neurons when mice were exploring in the open field. Chemical genetics was utilized to explore the effects of RE-MEC pathway inhibition on spatial memory. Results Retrograde and anterograde tracing confirmed that RE sent neuronal fibers to MEC, which were mainly distributed in the superficial layers. Optical fiber recording showed that the activities of REMEC-projecting neurons were increased when the mice were rearing and looking up, but were decreased when the mice were stationary and grooming (R2=0.077 3, P < 0.01). And the calcium signal of these neurons was positively correlated with movement speed. Compared with the control group, chemogenetic inhibition of the RE-MEC pathway significantly prolonged the exploration distance of the mice in the treatment group in the open field (P < 0.01), but showed no effects on the center time, rearing time, number of head ups and number of grooming. Conclusion RE-MEC pathway is activated during spatial exploratory behaviors and participates in spatial learning and memory. Chemogenetic inhibition of RE-MEC pathway impairs spatial memory and extends the exploration distance to represent the spatial information of novel environment, and has no effects on emotions. [Key words] thalamic nucleus reuniens , medial entorhinal cortex , spatial memory , open field ,

Abstract The progress of aquaculture heavily depends on the efficient utilization of diverse genetic resources to enhance production efficiency and maximize profitability. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been widely used in the study of aquaculture genomics, genetics, and breeding research since they are the most prevalent molecular markers on the genome. Currently, a large number of SNP markers from cultured fish species are scattered in individual studies, making querying complicated and data reuse problematic. We compiled relevant SNP data from literature and public databases to create a fish SNP database, FishSNP ( http://bioinfo.ihb.ac.cn/fishsnp ), and also used a unified analysis pipeline to process raw data that the author of the literature did not perform SNP calling on to obtain SNPs with high reliability. This database presently contains 45,690,243 (45 million) nonredundant SNP data for 13 fish species, with 30,288,958 (30 million) of those being high-quality SNPs. The main function of FishSNP is to search, browse, annotate and download SNPs, which provide researchers various and comprehensive associated information.

Abstract Background This study delves into the intricate landscape of atherosclerosis (AS), a chronic inflammatory disorder with significant implications for cardiovascular health. AS poses a considerable burden on global healthcare systems, elevating both mortality and morbidity rates. The pathological underpinnings of AS involve a marked metabolic disequilibrium, particularly within pyrimidine metabolism (PyM), a crucial enzymatic network central to nucleotide synthesis and degradation. While the therapeutic relevance of pyrimidine metabolism in diverse diseases is acknowledged, the explicit role of pyrimidine metabolism genes (PyMGs) in the context of AS remains elusive. Utilizing bioinformatics methodologies, this investigation aims to reveal and substantiate PyMGs intricately linked with AS. Methods A set of 41 candidate PyMGs was scrutinized through differential expression analysis. GSEA and GSVA were employed to illuminate potential biological pathways and functions associated with the identified PyMGs. Simultaneously, Lasso regression and SVM-RFE were utilized to distill core genes and assess the diagnostic potential of four quintessential PyMGs (CMPK1, CMPK2, NT5C2, RRM1) in discriminating AS. The relationship between key PyMGs and clinical presentations was also explored. Validation of the expression levels of the four PyMGs was performed using the GSE43292 and GSE9820 datasets. Results This investigation identified four PyMGs, with NT5C2 and RRM1 emerging as key players, intricately linked to AS pathogenesis. Functional analysis underscored their critical involvement in metabolic processes, including pyrimidine-containing compound metabolism and nucleotide biosynthesis. Diagnostic evaluation of these PyMGs in distinguishing AS showcased promising results. Conclusion In conclusion, this exploration has illuminated a constellation of four PyMGs with a potential nexus to AS pathogenesis. These findings unveil emerging biomarkers, paving the way for novel approaches to disease monitoring and progression, and providing new avenues for therapeutic intervention in the realm of atherosclerosis.

Temperature-swing adsorption (TSA) is an effective technique for CO2 capture, but the temperature swing procedure is energy-intensive. Herein, we report a low-energy-consumption system by combining passive radiative cooling and solar heating for the uptake of CO2 on commercial activated carbons (CACs). During adsorption, the adsorbents are coated with a layer of hierarchically porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) [P(VdF-HFP)HP], which cools the adsorbents to a low temperature under sunlight through radiative cooling. For desorption, CACs with broad absorption of the solar spectrum are exposed to light irradiation for heating. The heating and cooling processes are completely driven by solar energy. Adsorption tests under mimicked sunlight using the CACs show that the performance of this system is comparable to that of the traditional ones. Furthermore, under real sunlight irradiation, the adsorption capacity of the CACs can be well maintained after multiple cycles. The present work may inspire the development of new temperature swing procedures with little energy consumption.

The exothermic behaviors of butanol, butyraldehyde, butanone, and butyric acid with nitric acid were studied by adiabatic accelerating rate calorimeter(ARC), and the test results were compared and analyzed, and the system risk was evaluated by THI index method. The results show that under the condition of the zero oxygen balance, butyraldehyde-HNO3 system has the most obvious self-exothermic. When the butyraldehyde content is only 0.14 g, the adiabatic temperature of the system rises to 118.4 ℃ and the heat release amount is 776.6 J/g; butanol-HNO3 system begins to emit heat at about 40.2 ℃, and the highest temperature in the exothermic stage of self-reaction reaches 145.7 ℃ and the maximum pressure reaches about 34 bar(1 bar=105 Pa). Butanone-HNO3 system releases heat from 50 ℃ to 136 ℃, and the amount of heat released is 564.0 J/g. No exothermic point is observed in butyric acid-HNO3 system in the temperature range of less than 140.0 ℃. With the increase of nitric acid concentration(2.0→6.0 mol/L), the risk of butanol-HNO3 system increases from medium to high level. The risks of reaction systems of butanol, butyraldehyde, butanone and butyric acid with 4.0 mol/L HNO3 are at higher, higher, middle and middle levels.

ObjectiveTo compare the effects of tofacitinib and adalimumab on the risk of adverse lipidaemia outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsData of adult patients newly diagnosed with RA who were treated with tofacitinib or adalimumab at least twice during a 3-year period from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020, were enrolled in the TriNetX US Collaborative Network. Patient demographics, comorbidities, medications, and laboratory data were matched by propensity score at baseline. Outcome measurements include incidental risk of dyslipidemia, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality.ResultsA total of 7,580 newly diagnosed patients with RA (1998 receiving tofacitinib, 5,582 receiving adalimumab) were screened. After propensity score matching, the risk of dyslipidaemia outcomes were higher in the tofacitinib cohort, compared with adalimumab cohort (hazard ratio [HR] with 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.250 [1.076–1.453]). However, there is no statistically significant differences between two cohorts on MACE (HR, 0.995 [0.760–1.303]) and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.402 [0.887–2.215]).ConclusionTofacitinib use in patients with RA may increase the risk of dyslipidaemia to some extent compared to adalimumab. However, there is no differences on MACE and all-cause mortality.