Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THEMO-POROELASTIC ANALYSIS OF INJECTION-INDUCED ROCK DEFORMATION AND DAMAGE EVOLUTION

Analysis of stress change and permeability variations caused by rock failure is of interest in geothermal reservoir development. Cold water injection gives rise to significant pore pressure and temperature changes in the reservoir. These changes need be considered to assess rock failure and permeability change during injection and production process. In this paper, we develop a fully-coupled thermo-poromechanical finite element model with damage mechanics and stress dependent permeability. The model takes into account both conductive and convective heat transport. Rock damage is accounted for through alterations of elastic modulus and permeability for the homogenous and inhomogeneous rock mass. The model is applied to the analysis of stress induced micro-seismicity and fracture propagations in geothermal reservoirs. Simulation results for the constant injection rate show effective stress relaxation in the damaged zone and stress concentration at its interface with the undamaged rock. Localized damage propagation in shear and tension are observed for the case of anisotropic insitu stress. Consideration of rock heterogeneity results in distributed damage and permeability enhancement.
Clinical Features of Parkinson Disease when Onset of Diabetes Came First: A Case-Control Study

Editors' Note: Comments in Writ e Click this week were all in reference to “Clinical features of Parkinson disease when onset of diabetes came first: A case-control study” by Cereda et al. Drs. Kawabe et al. question whether differences in ischemic brain lesions, hypertension, or statin use may be affecting the results. The authors respond that patients with macrovascular lesions were excluded and that hypertension was similar between groups, while statin use may have been protective to the diabetic group. Drs. Kotagal et al. suggest that the data indicate that diabetes may be specifically related to postural instability and gait difficulty. The authors agree with the possibility and that the question deserves further study. Megan Alcauskas, MD, and Robert C. Griggs, MD. # {#article-title-2} Cereda et al.1 elucidated the relationship between Parkinson disease (PD) and diabetes. The authors concluded that the onset of diabetes before the onset of PD appeared to be a risk factor for more severe PD symptoms. …
Outcome of psychoeducation for HIV risk reduction.

Our objectives were to assess the effects of a psychoeducational (PE) program designed to reduce HIV risk behaviors in recovering drug abusers and to evaluate mediating variables associated with risk reduction as described by the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM). Consecutive admissions to a Department of Veterans Affairs drug dependence inpatient treatment program (n = 152) were randomly assigned to PE or a standard information (INFO) condition. PE involved a 6-hour small group intervention designed to enhance knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV prevention, improve skills in condom use and needle sterilization, and modify high-risk sex- and drug-related behaviors. The INFO condition involved presentation of audiovisual and printed HIV prevention material with similar content. Following intervention, PE subjects showed significantly enhanced self-efficacy, condom use skills, and sexual communication skills relative to the INFO group. At 3-month follow-up, the PE group showed significantly greater reductions on some measures of sexual HIV risk behaviors relative to the INFO group. Hypotheses derived from the ARRM regarding presumed relationships between positive changes in mediating variables (e.g., self-efficacy and sexual communication) and ultimate outcome variables (e.g., condom use) were supported.
Goal Disturbance, Cognitive Coping and Psychological Distress in HIV-infected Persons

This study aims to explore the relationships between cognitive coping, goal disturbance and psychological distress in HIV-infected persons. A sample of 43 HIV positive persons completed questionnaires that assessed cognitive coping, goal frustration, depressive symptoms and quality of life. Goal frustration and, to a lesser extent, the cognitive coping strategy ‘positive reappraisal’ were related to psychological distress. Intervention programmes might usefully implement the topics of goal disturbance and positive reappraisal.
Associations between gender and measures of daytime somnolence in the Sleep Heart Health Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To examine the relationship of gender to subjective measures of sleepiness, including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), in a community-based population. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Multicenter Sleep Heart Health Study participants (N = 6.440, 52% women) recruited from ongoing cohort studies. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS Scores from the ESS, Sleep Heart Health Study daytime sleepiness and feeling unrested questions, polysomnography results (respiratory disturbance index at 4% desaturation), as well as data on difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, insufficient sleep, sedative use, alcohol use, cardiovascular or respiratory disease, frequent awakening due to leg cramps. RESULTS Women reported feeling sleepy as often as men did (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06; confidence interval [CI], 0.86-1.32), but women were less likely to have an ESS score > 10 (adjusted OR = 0.77; CI, 0.66-0.90) and more likely to report feeling unrested (adjusted OR = 1.39; CI, 1.14-1.69) than men. In men, the ESS score was more strongly correlated with reports of feeling unrested or sleepy compared to women. CONCLUSIONS Men and women answer questions on sleepiness differently. Findings indicate that using the ESS to detect subjective sleepiness is more likely to identify men with sleepiness. Since the ESS is more strongly related to other subjective measures in men, the ESS may be a more sensitive measure of subjective sleepiness in men than in women.
Early Childhood Caries (ECC): what's in a name?

AIM It is evident from the number of published scientific papers on Early Childhood Caries (ECC) that interest in this problem has grown in recent years. Many authors have been trying to devise a clear definition or classification for ECC. The aim of this review was to inventory the prevalence of ECC and to seek a consensus regarding definition and diagnosis. Further attention was paid to the aetiological factors including the role of microrganisms. Finally, education, parenting and treatment procedures were discussed. METHODS For this review, epidemiological studies on caries prevalence in children aged between 0 and 36 months were compiled through a systematic approach using Medline. REVIEW This clearly showed that ECC continues to be a serious public health problem and that there is a great variety of definitions and diagnoses used worldwide, reflected in the prevalence data. This review confirms the multicausal aetiology and the need for further research. The authors strongly support the recommendations formulated at the workshop in Bethesda 1999, and the policy statements by the AAPD. CONCLUSION More efforts should be made to reach the high risk groups within populations, in order to reduce the prevalence of ECC and S-ECC (Severe Early Childhood Caries) and consequently to ameliorate the quality of life of these children. Long-term intervention studies are required for the evaluation of these efforts.
The Relationship between Employee Perceptions of Equity and Job Satisfaction in the Egyptian Private Universities

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between employee perception of equity and job satisfaction in the Egyptian private universities. Data were gathered using a face-to-face survey of 80 teaching staff members at three Egyptian universities. Findings revealed positive relationships between perceptions of equity, where a "motivator" was the outcome in the comparison, and job satisfaction. The study also revealed that there was no relationship between perceptions of equity and job satisfaction where a "hygiene factor" was the outcome in the comparison. This study is exploratory and findings are not conclusive. Its implications and limitations are discussed.
Sex-specific outcomes with addition of defibrillation to resynchronisation therapy in patients with heart failure

Objective Among primary prevention patients with heart failure receiving cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT), the impact of additional implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) treatment on outcomes and its interaction with sex remains uncertain. We aim to assess whether the addition of the ICD functionality to CRT devices offers a more pronounced survival benefit in men compared with women, as previous research has suggested. Methods Observational multicentre cohort study of 5307 consecutive patients with ischaemic or non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy and no history of sustained ventricular arrhythmias having CRT implantation with (cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillator (CRT-D), n=4037) or without (cardiac resynchronisation therapy pacemaker (CRT-P), n=1270) defibrillator functionality. Using propensity score (PS) matching and weighting and cause-of-death data, we assessed and compared the outcome of patients with CRT-D versus CRT-P. This analysis was stratified according to sex. Results After a median follow-up of 34 months (interquartile range 22–60 months) no survival advantage, of CRT-D versus CRT-P was observed in both men and women after PS matching (HR=0.95, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.16, p=0.61, and HR=1.30, 95% CI 0.83 to 2.04, p=0.25, respectively). With inverse-probability weighting, a benefit of CRT-D was seen in male patients (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.94, p=0.012) but not in women (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.19, p=0.43). The excess unadjusted mortality of patients with CRT-P compared with CRT-D was related to sudden cardiac death in 7.4% of cases in men but only 2.2% in women. Conclusions In primary prevention patients with CRT indication, the addition of a defibrillator might convey additional benefit only in well-selected male patients.
Climate denier, skeptic, or contrarian?

Assigning credibility or expertise is a fraught issue, particularly in a wicked phenomenon like climate change—as Anderegg et al. (1) discussed in a recent issue of PNAS. However, their analysis of expert credibility into two distinct “convinced” and “unconvinced” camps and the lack of nuance in defining the terms “climate deniers,” “skeptics,” and “contrarians” both oversimplify and increase polarization within the climate debate.
Novel therapies for sepsis: antiendotoxin therapies

Severe sepsis and septic shock is a common problem encountered in the critical care unit with an estimated incidence in the US of 750,000 cases/year and a mortality rate of 30 – 50%. Sepsis involves a complex interaction between bacterial factors and the host immune system producing a systemic inflammatory state that may progress to multiple organ failure and death. Endotoxin (a lipopolysaccharide) released from Gram-negative bacteria has been implicated as a potent, prototypical stimulus of the immune response to bacterial infection. Current antiendotoxin strategies utilise various approaches ranging from the prevention of binding to endotoxin receptors with antibodies (monoclonal or polyclonal) against endotoxin or endotoxin receptor/carrier molecules (antiCD14 or antilipopolysaccharide-binding protein antibodies), enhancing clearance or neutralisation (haemoperfusion, lipoproteins, lipopolysaccharide-neutralising proteins) or impairing cellular signalling (lipid A analogues, tyrosine kinase inhibitors). In the future, innovative therapies involving Toll-like receptors and their downstream signalling elements will be developed. This review discusses current knowledge regarding endotoxin signalling, antiendotoxin therapies currently under development, and future areas for research.
Role of ERCC1 in removal of long non‐homologous tails during targeted homologous recombination

The XpF/Ercc1 structure‐specific endonuclease performs the 5′ incision in nucleotide excision repair and is the apparent mammalian counterpart of the Rad1/Rad10 endonuclease from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In yeast, Rad1/Rad10 endonuclease also functions in mitotic recombination. To determine whether XpF/Ercc1 endonuclease has a similar role in mitotic recombination, we targeted the APRT locus in Chinese hamster ovary ERCC1+ and ERCC1− cell lines with insertion vectors having long or short terminal non‐homologies flanking each side of a double‐strand break. No substantial differences were evident in overall recombination frequencies, in contrast to results from targeting experiments in yeast. However, profound differences were observed in types of APRT+ recombinants recovered from ERCC1− cells using targeting vectors with long terminal non‐homologies—almost complete ablation of gap repair and single‐reciprocal exchange events, and generation of a new class of aberrant insertion/deletion recombinants absent in ERCC1+ cells. These results represent the first demonstration of a requirement for ERCC1 in targeted homologous recombination in mammalian cells, specifically in removal of long non‐homologous tails from invading homologous strands.
Hypovitaminosis D is associated with increased whole body fat mass and greater severity of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease

Hypovitaminosis D is common in obesity and insulin‐resistant states. Increased fat mass in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may contribute to hypovitaminosis D. To determine the relation among plasma vitamin D concentration, severity of disease and body composition in NAFLD.
Extreme warmth and heat-stressed plankton in the tropics during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

During rapid global warming 56 million years ago, tropical sea surface temperatures exceeded 36°C and stressed eukaryotic plankton. Global ocean temperatures rapidly warmed by ~5°C during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ~56 million years ago). Extratropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) met or exceeded modern subtropical values. With these warm extratropical temperatures, climate models predict tropical SSTs >35°C—near upper physiological temperature limits for many organisms. However, few data are available to test these projected extreme tropical temperatures or their potential lethality. We identify the PETM in a shallow marine sedimentary section deposited in Nigeria. On the basis of planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca and oxygen isotope ratios and the molecular proxy TEX86H, latest Paleocene equatorial SSTs were ~33°C, and TEX86H indicates that SSTs rose to >36°C during the PETM. This confirms model predictions on the magnitude of polar amplification and refutes the tropical thermostat theory. We attribute a massive drop in dinoflagellate abundance and diversity at peak warmth to thermal stress, showing that the base of tropical food webs is vulnerable to rapid warming.
Polyacrylic acid polymers hydrogels intended to topical drug delivery: preparation and characterization

Abstract Context: Bioadhesiviness of polyacrylic acid polymers make them promising hydrogels to design topical drug delivery systems, allowing a close contact with biological substrate as well as an enhanced local concentration gradient, both factors that may improve the biological performance of the drugs. Aim: Texture and bioadhesive properties of hydrogels were assessed by using texture analyzer and they were correlated with their rheological behavior and performance as drug delivery systems. Methods: Aqueous dispersions of both polymers were prepared at 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% w/v. Hardness, compressibility, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, bioadhesion, continuous flow, oscillatory dynamic test and in vitro drug release were evaluated. Results: Rheological and texture parameters were dependent on polymer concentration and C974P polymer built the strongest structures. Both 1.5% hydrogels presented high bioadhesion values. About 50% of the metronidazole (MTZ) was sustained released from hydrogels within 2 h with an initial burst release at early stage. After, the release rates were decreased and 10% of the MTZ was released in the next 10 h. The drug release process was driven by Fickian diffusion and complex mechanism for PP and C974P hydrogels, respectively. Conclusion: The set of results demonstrated that these hydrogels are promising to be used as topical controlled drug delivery system.
Potential of Noninvasive Serial Assessment of Acute Renal Allograft Rejection by 18F-FDG PET to Monitor Treatment Efficiency

We propose 18F-FDG PET as a method to monitor acute rejection of allogeneic renal transplants in a rat model. Methods: Allogeneically transplanted (aTX) rats (binephrectomized Lewis–brown Norway to Lewis) served as the renal transplant model. aTX rats treated with cyclosporine A (CSA) served as a therapy monitoring group. Healthy control rats, rats with acute CSA nephrotoxicity, rats with acute tubular necrosis, syngeneically transplanted (sTX) rats, and aTX rats treated with CSA since postoperative day 0 served as controls. After surgery, renal glucose metabolism was assessed in vivo serially up to postoperative day 7 by performing small-animal PET 3 h after intravenous injection of 30 MBq of 18F-FDG. Mean radioactivity (cps/mm3 of tissue) was measured and the percentage injected dose calculated. Results were confirmed by histologic, functional, and autoradiographic analysis. Results: Renal 18F-FDG uptake was significantly elevated at postoperative day 4 in aTX rats, when compared with control, sTX, acute tubular necrosis, or CSA-treated rats (P < 0.05). In vivo 18F-FDG uptake correlated with the results of autoradiography and with inflammatory infiltrates observed on histologic examination. Notably, 18F-FDG PET assessed the response to therapy 48 h earlier than the time at which serum creatinine decreased and when histologic examination still showed signs of allograft rejection. In aTX rats, the CSA-susceptible graft infiltrate was dominated by activated cytotoxic T cells and monocytes/macrophages. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET is an option to noninvasively assess early response to therapy in rat renal allograft rejection.
Exposure to widespread environmental toxicants and children’s cognitive development and behavioral problems

Nowadays a special attention is focused on prenatal and childhood exposures to a variety of contaminants in the environment, especially toxicants widely present in the environment and their impact on children’s health and neurodevelopment. This article aims at evaluating the impact of exposure to several widespread toxicants including: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, bisphenol A, brominated flame retardants and gas cooking on children’s cognitive development and behavioral problems by reviewing most recent published literature. Epidemiological studies focusing on exposure to widespread toxicants and children’s development for the last eleven years were identified by a search of the PubMed, Medline, Ebsco and Toxnet literature bases. The combination of following key words was used: 1) referring to the exposure: pregnancy, prenatal exposure, postnatal exposure, gas cooking, exposure to phthalates, bisphenol A, brominated flame retardants, PAHs and 2) referring to outcome: neurodevelopment, neurobehavior, psychomotor development, behavioral problems, cognitive development, mental health, school achievements, learning abilities. The results from the presented studies suggest that there are strong and rather consistent indications that the developing nervous system is particularly vulnerable to insult from low levels of exposure to widespread environmental contaminants such as: phthalates, bisphenol A, brominated flame retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, gas cooking. Considering the suggested health effects, more epidemiologic data is urgently needed and, in the meantime, precautionary policies must be implemented.
Immunohistochemical localization of C‐reactive protein‐binding sites in human atherosclerotic aortic lesions by a modified streptavidin‐biotin‐staining method

One‐step fluorescein‐conjugated polyclonal antibody technique has shown that C‐reactive protein (CRP) was located only extracellularly in human atherosclerotic lesions. In this report a more sensitive streptavidin‐biotin technique was applied to detect the localization of CRP in human athere sclerotic lesions. lmmunohistochemical staining with polyclonal and monoclonal anti‐human CRP antibodies both produced a brown color extracellularly in the necrotic lesions, and intracelluarly in CD68+ foam cells. The latter suggests an uptake of CRP‐lipid complexes by macro‐phages. The staining is human CRP‐specific because it was eliminated by preabsorption of the monoclonal antibody with pure human CRP, or by substitution of the primary antibody with non‐immune rabbit serum. By overlaid CRP‐binding study, a positive stain was observed on intimal smooth muscle cells and foam cells, suggesting that they have CRP‐binding sites unless the CRP‐binding activity was generated de novo through the fixation procedure. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that CRP may facilitate the uptake of lipids by macrophages accumulating in atherosclerotic lesions. Further, CRP might participate in cytolysis, which enlarges the necrotic area, and/or in phagocytosis that scavenges the necrotic tissue.
Sustained Release of 5‐Fluorouracil from Polymeric Nanoparticles

The use of biodegradable nanoparticles loaded with 5‐fluorouracil was investigated as a potential means to sustain the release of this drug. Nanoparticles prepared from four biodegradable polymers were loaded with 5‐fluorouracil using three loading concentrations of drug and three different concentrations of added polymer.
Prognostic effect of circulating adiponectin in a randomized 2 x 2 trial of low-dose tamoxifen and fenretinide in premenopausal women at risk for breast cancer.

PURPOSE Adipokines are linked to obesity and insulin sensitivity and have recently been related to breast cancer risk and prognosis. We investigated the associations of plasma leptin and adiponectin with mammographic density and disease status and assessed their prognostic effect on recurrence-free survival in premenopausal women at risk for breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS We measured circulating lipids, insulin-like growth factor 1, glucose, insulin and insulin sensitivity (calculated by homeostasis model assessment [HOMA] index), leptin, adiponectin, and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio in 235 premenopausal women with pT1mic/pT1a breast cancer (n = 21), intraepithelial neoplasia (n = 160), or 5-year Gail risk of 1.3% or greater (n = 54) who participated in a 2 × 2 trial of low-dose tamoxifen, fenretinide, both agents, or placebo over a 2-year period. RESULTS At baseline, adiponectin levels were directly associated with mammographic density and HDL cholesterol and negatively associated with leptin, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio, body mass index (BMI), and HOMA index. Median adiponectin levels were lower in affected than in unaffected women (P = .006). After a median of 7.2 years and total of 57 breast neoplastic events, there was a 12% reduction in the risk of breast neoplastic events per unit increase of adiponectin (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.96; P = .03). There was no interaction between treatment and adiponectin levels. CONCLUSION Low adiponectin levels are associated with a history of prior intraepithelial neoplasia or pT1mic/pT1a breast cancer and higher risk of second breast neoplastic events in premenopausal women. The associations are independent of BMI, mammographic density, and treatment. Our findings support the role of adiponectin as a potential target for premenopausal breast cancer prevention and treatment.