Data-driven coordinated attention deep learning for high-fidelity brain imaging denoising and inpainting.

Deep learning offers promise in enhancing low-quality images by addressing weak fluorescence signals, especially in deep in vivo mouse brain imaging. However, current methods struggle with photon scarcity and noise within in vivo deep mouse brains, and often neglecting tissue preservation. In this study, we propose an innovative in vivo cortical fluorescence image restoration approach, combining signal enhancement, denoising, and inpainting. We curated a deep brain cortical image dataset and developed a novel deep brain coordinate attention restoration network (DeepCAR), integrating coordinate attention with optimized residual networks. Our method swiftly and accurately restores deep cortex images exceeding 800 µm, preserving small-scale tissue structures. It boosts the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) by 6.94 dB for weak signals and 11.22 dB for large noisy images. Crucially, we validate the effectiveness on external datasets with diverse noise distributions, structural features compared to those in our training data, showcasing real-time high-performance image restoration capabilities.

Rapid, high-contrast, and steady volumetric imaging with Bessel-beam-based two-photon fluorescence microscopy.

Significance: Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (TPFM) excited by Gaussian beams requires axial tomographic scanning for three-dimensional (3D) volumetric imaging, which is a time-consuming process, and the slow imaging speed hinders its application for in vivo brain imaging. The Bessel focus, characterized by an extended depth of focus and constant resolution, facilitates the projection of a 3D volume onto a two-dimensional image, which significantly enhances the speed of volumetric imaging. Aim: We aimed to demonstrate the ability of a TPFM with a sidelobe-free Bessel beam to provide a promising tool for research in live biological specimens. Approach: Comparative in vivo imaging was conducted in live mouse brains and transgenic zebrafish to evaluate the performance of TPFM and Bessel-beam-based TPFM. Additionally, an image-difference method utilizing zeroth-order and third-order Bessel beams was introduced to effectively suppress background interference introduced by sidelobes. Results: In comparison with traditional TPFM, the Bessel-beams-based TPFM demonstrated a 30-fold increase in imaging throughput and speed. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the image-difference method was validated in live biological specimens, resulting in a substantial enhancement of image contrast. Importantly, our TPFM with a sidelobe-free Bessel beam exhibited robustness against axial displacements, a feature of considerable value for in vivo experiments. Conclusions: We achieved rapid, high-contrast, and robust volumetric imaging of the vasculature in live mouse brains and transgenic zebrafish using our TPFM with a sidelobe-free Bessel beam.

The differences between copper sulfate and tribasic copper chloride on growth performance, redox status, deposition in tissues of pigs, and excretion in feces.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of adding 130 mg/kg Cu from either copper sulfate (CS) or tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) on growth performance, mineral deposition in tissues, and the excretion in feces of pigs as well as changes in the mineral contents in tissues and feces when the supplemental Cu level was decreased from 130 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg. METHODS: A total of 72 pigs (32.6±1.2 kg) were randomly assigned to a CS diet or a TBCC diet with 6 pens per treatment. The trial lasted 102 d and included 3 phases (phase 1, 1 to 30 d; phase 2, 31 to 81 d; and phase 3, 82 to 102 d). The supplemental levels of Cu in the 2 treatments were 130 mg/kg in phase 1 and 2 and 10 mg/kg in phase 3. RESULTS: The results showed that pigs fed the CS diet tended to have higher average daily gain than pigs fed the TBCC diet during d 1 to 81 (p<0.10). Compared with CS, TBCC increased the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), ceruloplasmin, and superoxide dismutase in serum on d 30 (p<0.05). The TBCC decreased the Cu level in the liver on d 81 (p<0.05) and increased the Mn level in the liver on d 102 (p<0.05). The concentration of Cu in feces sharply decreased when the supplemental Cu level in diet changed from 130 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg in both diets (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The result suggested that TBCC and CS had no significant difference on growth performance but TBCC had higher activities of AST and antioxidant enzymes and lower liver Cu than CS when pigs fed diets with 130 mg Cu/kg diet.

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F versus conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs as monotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF), a medicinal plant that has been widely used in Chinese traditional medicine, is proven effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but its clinical efficacy and safety remain largely undefined in comparison with conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and WanFang Databases. Endpoints were ACR 20, 50, and 70, and the number of withdrawals due to adverse events. Initially, traditional pairwise meta-analysis was performed by using a random-effects model. Then, we performed network meta-analysis to compare different therapies by using frequentist approach. RESULTS: A total of 22 trials (5255 participants) were identified. By direct comparison, TwHF was superior to sulphasalazine according to ACR 20, 50 and 70. TwHF was superior to placebo according to ACR 20 and 50. By indirect comparisons, TwHF was superior to methotrexate, leflunomide, sulphasalazine, tacrolimus, minocycline and placebo according to ACR 20. Ranking by the Surface under the Cumulative Ranking curve (SUCRA) values showed that TwHF had the greatest probability for being the best treatment option according to ACR 20 (92.0 %) and ACR 50 (81.3 %), and the highest probability to be in the second (57.8 %) ranking position after leflunomide (69.6 %) according to ACR 70. By both direct and indirect comparisons, TwHF caused no more significant withdrawals than the placebo. The SUCRA values showed that TwHF had the highest probability to rank sixth (26.7 %) after the placebo (45.6 %) in causing withdrawals. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that TwHF is effective and safe in the treatment of RA and has better clinical efficacy in terms of ACR 20 and 50 than existing conventional synthetic DMARDs. In the absence of head-to-head treatment comparison, the confidence in these estimates is low. Future comparative efficacy studies are warranted.