The extraction of travel-time curve of seismic phase is very important for the subsequent inference of the structural properties of underground media in seismology. In recent years, with the increase ...in the amount of data, manual processing is facing significant challenges, and automatic signal processing has gradually become the mainstream. According to the similarity of array signals and considering the elimination of outliers, we propose an improved multi-channel cross-correlation method using the L1 norm measure to obtain preliminary results, which builds on a new controllable measurement mode. Then, the post-correction step is carried out in combination with the signal gain property of beamforming technique. Based on these two methods, this paper proposes a new scheme of automatic arrival time picking. We apply the scheme to actual data to verify the effects of the two methods step by step. The entire scheme achieves fine results: direct water waves, seismic waves refracted by the crust and seismic waves reflected by the upper mantle are automatically detected. In addition, compared with the two traditional methods, the scheme proposed in this paper has a better overall effect and a reasonable computation cost.
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an active remote sensing system that utilizes radar to produce images of the Earth's surface. Due to its ability to operate under diverse weather conditions and ...throughout the day, SAR has gained significant attention in both civilian and military domains. The utilization of multiview SAR sequences enables the acquisition of a more comprehensive range of information than a single image, and facilitates adaptation to diverse scenarios, thereby enhancing the ability to accommodate variations in samples. Drawing inspiration from the Transformer architecture, this article proposes a multiview SAR target recognition method, called Res-Xformer, that not only deconstructs the deep learning procedure into single image feature extraction and sequence feature fusion but also divides the task of sequence feature extraction into sequence information fusion and feature channel fusion. Different from the Transformers focusing on the attention mechanism to fuse sequence information, alternative fusion methods such as multilayer perceptron (MLP) and pooling are also proposed in this study. Experimental results using the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition dataset demonstrate that the proposed method performs well across various operational conditions, with MLP and pooling as sequence token mixers yielding comparable performance to the attention mechanism.
Primary Sjögren's syndrome is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. So far, genetic studies of Sjögren's syndrome have relied mostly on candidate gene approaches. To identify new genetic ...susceptibility loci for primary Sjögren's syndrome, we performed a three-stage genome-wide association study in Han Chinese. In the discovery stage, we analyzed 556,134 autosomal SNPs in 542 cases and 1,050 controls. We then validated promising associations in 2 replication stages comprising 1,303 cases and 2,727 controls. The combined analysis identified GTF2I at 7q11.23 (rs117026326: Pcombined = 1.31 × 10(-53), combined odds ratio (ORcombined) = 2.20) as a new susceptibility locus for primary Sjögren's syndrome. Our analysis also confirmed previously reported associations in Europeans in the regions of STAT4, TNFAIP3 and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Fine mapping of the region around GTF2I showed that rs117026326 in GTF2I had the most significant association, with associated SNPs extending from GTF2I to GTF2IRD1-GTF2I.
Using a set of Chinese economic data and a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model, this paper investigates the transmission channels of fiscal policy to bank credit in China. We find that ...increases in tax revenue can increase bank credit through external financing premium channel, collateral channel, and bank liquidity channel. We also find that increases in government spending can reduce bank credit through bank liquidity channel and increase bank credit through external financing premium channel and collateral channel.
Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) and acid β-glucosidase 1 (GBA1) catalyze ceramide formation through different routes, and both are involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis as well as IL-6 ...production. However, whether ASM and GBA1 regulate IL-6 production in RA remains unknown. Serum ASM, GBA1, and ceramide levels were measured in RA patients and healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and their correlations with clinical indicators of patients were evaluated. Pharmacologic inhibitors or small hairpin RNAs of ASM and GBA1 were employed to explore the roles of ASM and GBA1 in IL-6 production, cell behavior, and MAPK signaling in fibroblast-like synoviocytes from RA patients (RAFLS). ASM, GBA1, and ceramide serum levels were significantly elevated in patients with RA. GBA1 and ceramide serum levels were negatively and positively correlated with IL-6 serum level in RA patients, respectively. ASM inhibitor or knockdown of ASM abolished IL-1β-induced IL-6 expression and secretion. Functionally, ASM inhibitor suppressed IL-1β-induced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in RAFLS. Mechanistically, ASM inhibitor or knockdown of ASM effectively countered IL-1β-induced activation of p38 MAPK signaling. The pharmacologic inhibitor or knockdown of GBA1 exhibited the opposite effects. Importantly, p38 inhibitor blocked IL-1β-induced IL-6 production in RAFLS. ASM plays a pathogenic role in RA, whereas GBA1 plays a protective role in RA possibly by regulating IL-6 production in RAFLS at least partially via p38 signaling, serving as potential therapeutic targets in RA treatment.
Using a set of Chinese economic data and a Bayesian vector autoregression (BVAR) model, this study empirically analyzes the spillover effects of U.S. trade policy uncertainty on the output, ...consumption, investment, and net export in China. The results find that U.S. trade policy uncertainty is an important factor influencing China’s real economy. Specifically, an increase in U.S. trade policy uncertainty has a significant negative effect on China’s output, consumption, and net export in the short and long run, but it will have a negative impact on investment in the short run and a positive impact in the medium and long run.
Using the monthly data from December 2008 to March 2018 and a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model, this paper empirically analyzes the spillover effects of U.S. monetary policy normalization on ...the total output, inflation, trade balance, and exchange rates in BRICS. The results show that the Fed’s interest rate hike and balance sheet shrinking will both lead to a decrease in BRICS’ output, a decline in inflation, a deterioration in the trade balance, and a depreciation of the exchange rate. In addition, the spillover effects of the Fed’s interest rate hike and shrinking of a balance sheet are both relatively long lasting, but there is a certain difference between the two effects; that is, the Fed’s interest rate hike has a greater impact on the macroeconomic variables of BRICS countries than the shrinking of balance sheet. Based on the conclusions, we propose to establish and improve the regulatory system of international capital flows, pay close attention to commodity prices, and strengthen policy coordination and communication among BRICS countries so as to mitigate the adverse impact of U.S. monetary policy normalization.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical features and outcomes of retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF). Fifty-eight RPF treatment cases in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical ...University were retrospectively analyzed, including clinical characteristics and laboratory data. RPF was found predominantly in elderly men with atypical clinical manifestations of back pain, abdominal pain, and lower limb edemas. In laboratory examinations, the acute-phase reactants such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels increased significantly. Renal function failure was frequently found in patients with urethral obstruction. All patients had retroperitoneal soft tissue shadows or urethral obstructions on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), seven of which had histological diagnosis of idiopathic RPF. Forty-two patients received surgical interventions; 29 patients received medication treatment alone including corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and tamoxifen; 17 patients received corticosteroids after surgical intervention. Surgery followed by medication was most effective for RPF. CT and MRI help to exclude secondary causes, but biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Long-term low-dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressants may prevent relapse of RPF.
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