Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER CONFINEMENT ON BOND STRENGTH OF REINFORCEMENT IN BEAM ANCHORAGE SPECIMENS

This paper reports on the fourth phase of a multiphase study undertaken at the American University of Beirut (AUB) to examine the effect of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets in confining bond-critical regions in reinforced concrete beams. Results of the first three phases showed that glass- and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP and CFRP) sheets were effective in increasing the bond strength and improving the ductility of the mode of failure of tension lap splices in high-strength concrete (HSC) and normal-strength concrete (NSC) beams. The main objective of the fourth phase of the AUB study was to assess the effect of CFRP sheets in improving the serviceability and ultimate response of beam anchorage specimens. The added experimental data and the improved knowledge of the bond behavior of FRP confined concrete members will encourage the use of FRP technology to strengthen and retrofit bond anchorage zones. Ten beam anchorage specimens were tested in positive bending in two series. The variables we.
Repair and Prediction (under Inconsistency) in Large Biological Networks with Answer Set Programming

We address the problem of repairing large-scale biological networks and corresponding yet often discrepant measurements in order to predict unobserved variations. To this end, we propose a range of different operations for altering experimental data and/or a biological network in order to reestablish their mutual consistency—an indispensable prerequisite for automated prediction. For accomplishing repair and prediction, we take advantage of the distinguished modeling and reasoning capacities of Answer Set Programming. We validate our framework by an empirical study on the widely investigated organism Escherichia coli.
Intake of antioxidant vitamins and risk of death from stroke in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND Antioxidant vitamins may play a role in the prevention of stroke because they scavenge free radicals and prevent LDL oxidation. Epidemiologic studies that have examined this relation produced conflicting results. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between antioxidant vitamin intakes and death from stroke. DESIGN This was a prospective cohort study of 34492 postmenopausal women. RESULTS During follow-up, 215 deaths from stroke were documented. Total vitamin A, carotenoid, and vitamin E intakes were not associated with death from stroke after multivariate adjustment. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs of the highest compared with the lowest category were 0.79 (0.45, 1.38; P for trend = 0.33) for vitamin A, 0.80 (0.45, 1.40; P for trend = 0.40) for carotenoids, and 0.91 (0.55, 1.52; P for trend = 0.86) for vitamin E. The test for trend for total vitamin C intake was significant, although the association appeared somewhat U-shaped, not monotonic. An inverse association was seen between death from stroke and vitamin E intake from food. RRs (and 95% CIs) of death from stroke from the lowest to highest intake categories were 1.0, 0.80 (0.51, 1.26), 0.93 (0.58, 1. 49), 0.67 (0.39, 1.14), 0.40 (0.20, 0.80); P for trend = 0.008. The results suggest inverse associations between death from stroke and intakes of the most concentrated vitamin E food sources consumed by this cohort: mayonnaise, nuts, and margarine. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest a protective effect of vitamin E from foods on death from stroke but do not support a protective role for supplemental vitamin E or other antioxidant vitamins. However, given the number of deaths from stroke in the present cohort, a small-to-moderate association could not be ruled out.
Characterization of a murine model of mucopolysaccharidosis type IIID: A knockout model

The Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a class of lysosomal storage disorders, characterized by the primary lysosomal storage of either single or multiple species of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) which leads to cell, tissue, and organ dysfunction. This is manifested clinically by either bone/connective tissue disease, central nervous system (CNS) disease, or both, and often results in premature death. Mucopolysaccharidosis type III is a heterogeneous neuropathological disorder characterized by an accumulation of the heparan sulfate (HS). Of the four known types of MPS III in humans (A (OMIM: 252900), B (252920), C (252930), D (252940)), all have murine models except IIID. Additional to primary HS storage there is secondary lysosomal accumulation of multiple biological products including gangliosides. Mouse models are critical for advancing therapies for patients. Herein we describe the first mouse model of IIID. The MPS IIID knockout lacks exons 2-13 of the 14 exons of N-Acetylglucosamine 6Sulfatase (GNS) gene which encodes the enzyme (N-Acetylglucosamine 6-Sulfatase, EC 3.1.6.14) taking part in HS degradation pathway. Affected MPS IIID mice were compared to affected MPS IIIB and IIIA mice, as well as to wild type (WT) mice. Affected IIID animals had urine retention, hepatomegaly, and rough hair coat beginning at nine months, a phenotype similar to other forms of MPS III. Affected animals were further characterized by histology and biochemistry (at four, eight and twelve months), and behavior. At four months of age there was no detectable liver activity of GNS and an exponential increase of GAGs was seen. Mild vacuolation, particularly in CNS, was seen in hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissues of IIID affected mice. At twelve months H&E staining showed extensive vacuolation in hepatocytes, renal tubular cells, CNS, as well as cerebellar Purkinje cell loss. Luxol Fast Blue
Effects of 2 low-fat stanol ester-containing margarines on serum cholesterol concentrations as part of a low-fat diet in hypercholesterolemic subjects.

BACKGROUND Full-fat sitostanol ester-containing margarine reduces serum total and LDL cholesterol, but the effect of plant stanol ester-containing margarine as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet has not been studied. OBJECTIVE We investigated the cholesterol-lowering effects of 2 novel, low-fat stanol ester-containing margarines as part of a low-fat diet recommended for hypercholesterolemic subjects. DESIGN In a parallel, double-blind study, 55 hypercholesterolemic subjects were randomly assigned after a 4-wk high-fat diet (baseline) to 3 low-fat margarine groups: wood stanol ester-containing margarine (WSEM), vegetable oil stanol ester-containing margarine (VOSEM), and control margarine (no stanol esters). The groups consumed the margarines for 8 wk as part of a diet resembling that of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Step II diet. The daily mean total stanol intake was 2.31 and 2.16 g in the WSEM and VOSEM groups, respectively. RESULTS During the experimental period, the reduction in serum total cholesterol was 10.6% (P < 0.001) and 8.1% (P < 0.05) greater and in LDL cholesterol was 13.7% (P < 0.01) and 8.6% (P = 0.072) greater in the WSEM and VOSEM groups, respectively, than in the control group. Serum campesterol concentrations decreased 34.5% and 41.3% (P < 0.001) in the WSEM and VOSEM groups, respectively. Serum HDL cholesterol, sitostanol, campestanol, beta-carotene, and fat-soluble vitamin concentrations did not change significantly from baseline. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the low-fat, plant stanol ester-containing margarines are effective cholesterol-lowering products in hypercholesterolemic subjects when used as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. They offer an additional, clinically significant reduction in serum cholesterol concentrations to that obtained with a low-fat diet alone.
Targeted Cancer Therapy by Dendritic Cell Vaccine

The unpredictability of efficacy and toxicity of treatment are limitations of current standard cancer treatments. The clinical results obtained by standard therapies suggest a need for a paradigm change in cancer treatment. In recent years, immune cell therapy has been in the spotlight with the expectation of opening the door to a new area of cancer therapy. Targeted cancer therapy, which selectively takes action against targets expressed in the tumor surface, seems to be promising.
First Detection of GES-5 Carbapenemase-Producing Acinetobacter baumannii Isolate.

This study was conducted to investigate the molecular epidemiology of resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates collected at a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January through December 2010. Twenty-seven A. baumannii were highly resistant (MIC90 > 256 μg/ml) to ceftazidime, cefepime, and aztreonam. Imipenem resistance was seen in 24 isolates, of which 18 had an minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) >32 μg/mL. Ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and amikacin resistance was found in 93%, 52%, and 37% of all the isolates, respectively. Moreover, 8 (30%) isolates showed colistin resistance, and 15 (56%) were found to have MICs ≥4 μg/mL for tigecycline. The frequency of ADC, GES-1, GES-11, and GES-5 were 96.3% (n = 26), 18.5% (n = 5), 11% (n = 3), and 3.7% (n = 1), respectively. OXA-23 was found in 63% (n = 17) of the isolates; ISAba1 was found upstream of OXA-23 in 16. OXA-24/40 was detected in only one strain. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis revealed that the 27 strains were distributed in 8 sequence types (STs) and 16 clonal pulsotypes (A-P). Five singleton STs were identified, including ST15 and ST113-ST116. The emergence of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii is becoming a major concern in Saudi Arabia. Metallo-β-lactamases have no role in carbapenem resistance in this collection. The spread of OXA-23 in our strains occurred across different STs and pulsotypes, unlike what has been observed in many other countries. PFGE typing was more discriminatory than MLST. The high frequency of colistin and tigecycline resistance found in the isolates calls for continuous monitoring. This study describes the first identification of GES-5 conferring carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii.
Transungual Gel of Terbinafine Hydrochloride for the Management of Onychomycosis: Formulation, Optimization, and Evaluation

The present study was aimed to optimize, develop, and evaluate microemulsion and microemulsion-based gel as a vehicle for transungual drug delivery of terbinafine hydrochloride for the treatment of onychomycosis. D-optimal mixture experimental design was adopted to optimize the composition of microemulsion having amount of oil (X1), Smix (mixture of surfactant and cosurfactant; X2), and water (X3) as the independent variables. The formulations were assessed for permeation (micrograms per square centimeter per hour; Y1), particle size (nanometer; Y2), and solubility of the drug in the formulation (milligrams per milliliter; Y3). The microemulsion containing 3.05% oil, 24.98% Smix, and 71.96% water was selected as the optimized formulation. The microemulsion-based gel showed better penetration (∼5 folds) as well as more retention (∼9 fold) in the animal hoof as compared to the commercial cream. The techniques used to screen penetration enhancers (hydration enhancement factor, ATR-FTIR, SEM, and DSC) revealed the synergistic effect of combination of urea and n-acetyl cysteine in disruption of the structure of hoof and hence, leading to enhanced penetration of drug.
Oxidative stress and disuse muscle atrophy: cause or consequence?

Purpose of reviewThis review will discuss the evidence both for and against the concept that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the regulation of inactivity-induced skeletal muscle atrophy. Recent findingsIt is well established that prolonged skeletal muscle inactivity causes muscle fiber atrophy and a decrease in muscle force production. This disuse-induced muscle atrophy is the consequence of a loss in muscle protein resulting from increased protein degradation and decreased protein synthesis. Recent studies suggest that oxidative stress can influence cell-signaling pathways that regulate both muscle protein breakdown and synthesis during prolonged periods of disuse. Specifically, it is feasible that increased ROS production in muscle fibers can promote increased proteolysis and also depress protein synthesis during periods of skeletal muscle inactivity. SummaryAlthough it is established that oxidants can participate in the regulation of protein turnover in cells, there remains debate as to whether oxidative stress is required for disuse skeletal muscle atrophy. Nonetheless, based on emerging evidence we conclude that increased ROS production in skeletal muscles significantly contributes to inactivity-induced muscle atrophy.
Effects of calcium, dairy product, and vitamin D supplementation on bone mass accrual and body composition in 10-12-y-old girls: a 2-y randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the relative effectiveness of calcium supplementation from food or pills with or without vitamin D supplementation for bone mass accrual during the rapid growth period. OBJECTIVE The purpose was to examine the effects of both food-based and pill supplements of calcium and vitamin D on bone mass and body composition in girls aged 10-12 y. DESIGN This placebo-controlled intervention trial randomly assigned 195 healthy girls at Tanner stage I-II, aged 10-12 y, with dietary calcium intakes <900 mg/d to 1 of 4 groups: calcium (1000 mg) + vitamin D3 (200 IU), calcium (1000 mg), cheese (1000 mg calcium), and placebo. Primary outcomes were bone indexes of the hip, spine, and whole body by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and of the radius and tibia by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. RESULTS With the use of intention-to-treat or efficacy analysis, calcium supplementation with cheese resulted in a higher percentage change in cortical thickness of the tibia than did placebo, calcium, or calcium + vitamin D treatment (P = 0.01, 0.038, and 0.004, respectively) and in higher whole-body bone mineral density than did placebo treatment (P = 0.044) when compliance was >50%. With the use of a hierarchical linear model with random effects to control for growth velocity, these differences disappeared. CONCLUSIONS Increasing calcium intake by consuming cheese appears to be more beneficial for cortical bone mass accrual than the consumption of tablets containing a similar amount of calcium. Diverse patterns of growth velocity may mask the efficacy of supplementation in a short-term trial of children transiting through puberty.
A Spectral Graph Regression Model for Learning Brain Connectivity of Alzheimer’s Disease

Understanding network features of brain pathology is essential to reveal underpinnings of neurodegenerative diseases. In this paper, we introduce a novel graph regression model (GRM) for learning structural brain connectivity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) measured by amyloid-β deposits. The proposed GRM regards 11C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging data as smooth signals defined on an unknown graph. This graph is then estimated through an optimization framework, which fits the graph to the data with an adjustable level of uniformity of the connection weights. Under the assumed data model, results based on simulated data illustrate that our approach can accurately reconstruct the underlying network, often with better reconstruction than those obtained by both sample correlation and ℓ1-regularized partial correlation estimation. Evaluations performed upon PiB-PET imaging data of 30 AD and 40 elderly normal control (NC) subjects demonstrate that the connectivity patterns revealed by the GRM are easy to interpret and consistent with known pathology. Moreover, the hubs of the reconstructed networks match the cortical hubs given by functional MRI. The discriminative network features including both global connectivity measurements and degree statistics of specific nodes discovered from the AD and NC amyloid-beta networks provide new potential biomarkers for preclinical and clinical AD.
Different modes of weight loss in Alzheimer disease: a prospective study of 395 patients.

BACKGROUND Alzheimer disease is often accompanied and worsened by malnutrition. Patterns of weight loss can differ by the patients concerned and by the outcome and interventions required. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to describe and analyze 2 modes of weight loss (progressive and severe) in the course of Alzheimer disease. DESIGN This was a prospective study of 395 patients with Alzheimer disease, who had a mean age of 75.4 y. A standardized gerontologic evaluation was conducted at 6 mo and 1 y, including assessments of nutrition, neuropsychology, function, and caregiver burden. RESULTS We investigated 2 modes of weight loss. The first, progressive loss (4% in 1 y), affected 33.4% of subjects. Disease severity was a risk factor [odds ratio (OR): 7.2; 95% CI: 1.4, 38.2 for a Reisberg score > or = 5], whereas treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors at baseline decreased this risk (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.79). The second mode of weight loss, a severe loss of > or =5 kg in 6 mo, affected 10.2% of subjects. The existence of an acute phase reaction was a risk factor (OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2, 4.8), as was an intercurrent event, such as hospitalization, acute disease, institutionalization, and change of living arrangements (OR: 6.8; 95% CI: 1.2, 39.9). CONCLUSION During the follow-up of patients with Alzheimer disease, risk factors for these 2 modes of weight loss should be sought to identify patients who would benefit from a nutritional intervention. Our findings lead us to advocate follow-up, which involves an assessment of functional, nutritional, and neuropsychologic status every 6 mo.
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects of silymarin on hepatic dysfunction induced by sodium nitrite.

PURPOSE Sodium nitrite, a food additive that is used as a color fixative and preservative for meats and fish, has been reported to have adverse health effects due to increased oxidative stress that could be harmful to different organs including the liver. Meanwhile, silymarin protects against hepatotoxicity caused by a variety of agents, on account of its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. We therefore examined the impact of dietary silymarin on sodium nitrite-induced liver damage in rats. METHODS Fifty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received 80 mg/kg sodium nitrite in the presence or absence of silymarin (10 and 25 mg/kg). Hepatic proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β), hepatic fibrosis marker (MCP-1 and TGF-β1), mitochondrial activity marker (cytochrome C oxidase) and c-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured. Hepatic apoptosis was assessed through determination of caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation. RESULTS We found that oral sodium nitrite enhanced oxidative stress with subsequent increases in TNF-α (2-fold), IL-1β (4-fold), MCP-1 (4-fold), TGF-β1 (3-fold) and CRP (4-fold). In addition, sodium nitrite brings about reduced cytochrome C oxidase and enhanced caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation. Daily treatment with silymarin markedly ameliorated all these effects. CONCLUSIONS Silymarin ameliorated the impairment of hepatic function in rats that had ingested sodium nitrite. Silymarn possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic and anti-apoptotic effects.
Factors associated with physical and sexual violence by police among people who inject drugs in Ukraine: implications for retention on opioid agonist therapy

Ukraine's volatile HIV epidemic, one of the largest in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, remains concentrated in people who inject drugs (PWID). HIV prevalence is high (21.3% to 41.8%) among the estimated 310,000 PWID. Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is the most cost‐effective HIV prevention strategy there, yet OAT services are hampered by negative attitudes and frequent harassment of OAT clients and site personnel by law enforcement. This paper examines the various types of police violence that Ukrainian PWID experience and factors associated with the different types of violence, as well as the possible implications of police harassment on OAT retention.
Coastal ocean and shelf-sea biogeochemical cycling of trace elements and isotopes: lessons learned from GEOTRACES

Continental shelves and shelf seas play a central role in the global carbon cycle. However, their importance with respect to trace element and isotope (TEI) inputs to ocean basins is less well understood. Here, we present major findings on shelf TEI biogeochemistry from the GEOTRACES programme as well as a proof of concept for a new method to estimate shelf TEI fluxes. The case studies focus on advances in our understanding of TEI cycling in the Arctic, transformations within a major river estuary (Amazon), shelf sediment micronutrient fluxes and basin-scale estimates of submarine groundwater discharge. The proposed shelf flux tracer is 228-radium (T1/2 = 5.75 yr), which is continuously supplied to the shelf from coastal aquifers, sediment porewater exchange and rivers. Model-derived shelf 228Ra fluxes are combined with TEI/ 228Ra ratios to quantify ocean TEI fluxes from the western North Atlantic margin. The results from this new approach agree well with previous estimates for shelf Co, Fe, Mn and Zn inputs and exceed published estimates of atmospheric deposition by factors of approximately 3–23. Lastly, recommendations are made for additional GEOTRACES process studies and coastal margin-focused section cruises that will help refine the model and provide better insight on the mechanisms driving shelf-derived TEI fluxes to the ocean. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry’.
Does it make a difference how and when you take your calcium? The acute effects of calcium on calcium and bone metabolism.

BACKGROUND Calcium supplements are widely used to prevent osteoporosis. However, little is known about the metabolic effects of different dosages and of the timing of the dosages. OBJECTIVE The aim was to study the effects of the timing of the dose (study 1), the effects of the size of the dose (study 2), and the effects of small repetitive doses (study 3) of calcium on calcium and bone metabolism in women. DESIGN The investigation was conducted in 3 parts, each with 10 participants. In study 1, calcium loads (0 and 25 mg/kg body wt) were taken at 0900 and 2100. In study 2, calcium loads of 0, 250, and 1000 mg were taken at 0900. In study 3, calcium loads of 0 and 200 mg were taken 4 times/d. Markers of calcium and bone metabolism were followed. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the response of serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) to the calcium load taken at 0900 and that at 2100. There was a significant dose-response effect of the calcium load on serum ionized calcium (P = 0.00005) and serum PTH (P = 0.0003). Small calcium doses (200 mg) taken 4 times/d kept the PTH secretion at a lower level than during the control day (P = 0.016). None of the doses caused significant changes in the markers of bone formation and resorption measured. CONCLUSIONS The calcium loads had no significant effect on the markers of bone formation and resorption measured, although even small calcium doses decreased serum PTH and increased serum ionized calcium concentrations rapidly. The effect was similar whether calcium was taken in the morning or in the evening.