Search

ObjectiveWe summarize the global, regional, and national burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2019.MethodsBased on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, the data of IBD in children and adolescents were analyzed by sex, age, year, and location. Joinpoint analysis was applied to assess the temporal trend of the disease burden.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2019, the incidence of IBD in children and adolescents increased by 22.8%, from 20,897.42 to 25,658.55 cases, especially in high SDI region. During the same period, the DALY numbers decreased by 53.5%, from 243,081.06 to 113,119.86, with all SDI regions experiencing a clear drop in DALYs except high SDI regions. In 2019, early-onset IBD incidence and DALY numbers were reported at 2,053.52 (95% UI: 1,575.62 to 2,677.49) and 73,797.46 (95% UI: 43,655.86 to 105,998.63), respectively.ConclusionEarly-onset IBD in children and adolescents remains a significant global health concern. The disease burden has not improved in developed countries over the past 30 years, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

Tunneling in sandy dolomite strata often faces hazards such as collapse, water inrush, and water–sand inrush, seriously threatening the safety of tunnel construction. There are currently limited studies on the mechanical behaviors of sandy dolomite tunnels. In view of this, an analytical solution for tunneling in sandy dolomite strata is derived in this study, and then parametric analysis is performed to analyze the mechanical response of rock mass in sandy dolomite tunnels. The results demonstrate five tunnel sidewall stress scenarios according to the different lateral pressure coefficients (λ). Varying λ values impact stress distribution and tunnel stability, with extreme values posing risks of instability. Tunnel safety is greatly reduced when rock stress approaches the plastic limit. At different internal friction angles, cohesion, and initial rock stresses, radial stress decreases gradually as the radius increases. The stress values under different conditions tend to be similar, while the effects of internal friction angle, cohesion, and initial rock stress on stress in the elastic zone decrease with increasing distance from the center of the tunnel. Under different internal friction angles and cohesion, the plastic zone radius increases with increasing distance from the excavation surface, and a larger internal friction angle and cohesion lead to an increase in stress. The stress and cohesion of a rock mass significantly affect the plastic zone radius, and an increase in tunnel excavation radius also leads to an increase in the radius of plastic zone. These findings provide a reference and insight for similar geotechnical engineering practices in the future.

Abstract Background Asia’s inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) burden has rapidly increased recently, but the epidemiological trends in Asia remain unclear. We report IBD’s incidence, prevalence, mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) in 52 Asian countries from 1990 to 2019. Methods Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 were analyzed for IBD burden across 52 countries, using metrics like incidence, prevalence, mortality rates, and DALY. The epidemiological trend of IBD from 1990 to 2019 was assessed with the Joinpoint and APC methods. Decomposition and frontier analyses examined factors behind IBD case and death changes. The NORPRED forecasted Asia's morbidity and mortality trends from 2019 to 2044. Results From 1990 to 2019, The incidence and prevalence of IBD increased in Asia, while mortality and DALY decreased. East Asia had the highest increase in disease burden. IBD incidence was highest among the 30–34 age group, with prevalence peaking in the 45–49 age group. In high-income regions, IBD peak age shifted to younger groups. Decompose analysis showed population growth as the primary factor for the increasing IBD cases in Asia. NORDPRED model predicted a continued IBD burden increase in Asia over the next 25 years. Conclusions Between 1990 and 2019, ASIR and ASPR of IBD in Asia increased, while ASMR and ASDR decreased. Due to population growth and aging, the IBD burden is expected to rise over the next 25 years, particularly in East Asia.

BackgroundPancreatic cancer is renowned for its elevated incidence and mortality rates on a global scale. The disease burden of pancreatic cancer is anticipated to increase, particularly in Asia, due to its vast and rapidly aging population.MethodsData from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 were analyzed for pancreatic cancer burden across 52 countries in Asia, including the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) for pancreatic cancer, with a focus on risk factors such as high body mass index (BMI), elevated fasting plasma glucose, and smoking. We applied the Estimated Annual Percentage Change, the Age–Period–Cohort model, and decomposition analysis to evaluate incidence trends and effects.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2019, both incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer in Asia significantly increased, with an average annual standardized incidence rate change of 1.73%. Males consistently exhibited higher rates than females, with smoking as a key risk factor. Central Asia reported the highest rates, and South Asia the lowest. The incidence rose with age, peaking in those aged 70~74. The disease burden increased in all age groups, particularly in populations aged 55 and above, representing 84.41% of total cases in 2019, up from 79.01% in 1990. Pancreatic cancer ranked the fifth in incidence among six major gastrointestinal tumors but presented a significant growth rate of mortality and DALY.ConclusionWith the growing, aging population in Asia, the pancreatic cancer burden is projected to escalate, bringing a significant public health challenge. Hence, comprehensive public health strategies emphasizing early detection, risk modification, and optimized treatment of pancreatic cancer are imperative.

The existence of structural strength in undisturbed soil results in its distinct characteristics compared to remolded soil. Under the influence of freeze–thaw cycles, this difference may easily cause geotechnical disasters in cold regions. This study aimed to analyze and discuss the expression degree and influencing factors of the structural strength of expansive soil. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, high-pressure consolidation test, and microscopic test were performed on expansive soil retrieved from a seasonally frozen region. Moreover, sensitivity parameters, including stress sensitivity (St.qu, St.σk) and strain sensitivity (St.ɛu, St.Cc), were applied to explore the expression degree and influencing factors of structural strength in a seasonally frozen region. The results reveal that the undisturbed samples have better structural connection and particle arrangement than the remolded samples. However, the primary fractures have a certain degrading effect on the strength of the undisturbed soil as influenced by a seasonally frozen region. With the increase in water content and the decrease in density, the expression degree of the structural strength in terms of compressive strength and the ability to resist deformation enhances under the unconfined condition. By contrast, the expression degree increases in strength and decreases in ability under the confined condition. Furthermore, the effect mechanisms of the basic property, particle composition, structural linkage, lateral confinement, and historical role on the structural expression were analyzed.

Anisotropic permeability is of great significance for assessing the consolidation and drainage mode of soil layers in reclamation areas, as well as for preventing and controlling ground settlement after project construction. This paper analyzes the anisotropic permeability of the inland and nearshore soil layers in Chongming East Shoal, Shanghai, and the formation mechanism of anisotropic permeability through permeability and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests. The results highlight that compared with dredger fill and sandy silt, the horizontal permeability coefficient of underlying soft clay (USC) is significantly higher than its vertical permeability coefficient, which is more significant in nearshore USC. Interestingly, the upper clay (21.5 m) in the thickest clay layer shows greater anisotropic permeability than the lower clay (41.5 m). Due to the instability of seepage channels, the USC anisotropic permeability increases in a fluctuating manner as the hydraulic gradient increases. Microstructural parameters are used to reveal the mechanism of anisotropic permeability, which shows that a simple soil skeleton and structure, strong particle orientation, decreased particle abundance, increased particle roundness, decreased particle contact area, and increased pore area all contribute to the enhancement of permeability. Moreover, micro-parameters have been proposed to evaluate anisotropic permeability in terms of the effective seepage-pore area. This approach addresses the constraint of water films on the permeability efficiency of USC particles.

Fractal theory and image processing technology has been more and more applied to the soil structure evaluation recent years. In this study, dredger fill from the reclamation area of Chongming Island, Shanghai, were tested for the soil structure by sieve, densimeter, LPSA, MIP and SEM. Moreover, fractal values of the particles and pores based on the fractal theory, as well as the morphological and statistical parameters based on computer image processing technology were both obtained; correlations between fractals with the morphology and the discreteness of directional angle were further analyzed. The results revealed that the fractal dimension of particle size distribution (PSD) had two scale-free intervals (SFI) with 0.075 mm as an important demarcation point. The Menger model was more suitable to describe the fractal characteristics of the relatively smaller pores (< 4 μm). An abnormal segment caused by the ink-bottle pores occurred at the junction of the macropore and the mesopore. Fractal values obtained from SEM had some limitations in describing the real complexity of the soil particles and pores. Pores with larger equivalent diameter tended to have more complex structures; the directional angle dis-creteness of the soil particle had some influence on its complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]