Damage Factor Research Articles

Comparing Plasma Fibrinogen,Homocysteine, Cardiac Troponin I, and C-Reactive Protein Levels Among Smokers and Non-smokers inHamadan Hospitals: A Case-Control Study

Background: Cigarette smoking is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular damage. Current studies have reported an association between some markers such as homocysteine, plasma fibrinogen, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and C-reactive protein (CRP) and cardiovascular damages. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between these laboratory markers and smoking intensity. Methods: In this case-control study, 200 male employees from the operating room, laboratory, and administrative departments of Hamadan hospitals were categorized into four groups of 50 based on their smoking status: active smokers, smokers, infrequent smokers, and non-smokers. After sampling, blood levels of the specified biomarkers were evaluated. Then, regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between these markers and cigarette smoking, regression analysis was performed. Results: The results indicated significant differences in the studied biomarkers between smokers and non-smokers (P<0.001), suggesting the effect of cigarette smoking on cardiovascular damage, inflammation, and coagulation states in individuals. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking affects markers of heart muscle damage, inflammatory and coagulation factors, and cardiovascular risk factors.

Advances in medications and treatments for reducing memory loss in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (ad) is a disease in which brain cells deteriorate, leading to dementia and cognitive decline. It is mainly caused by cholinergic functional problems and the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain. Age, genetics, head damage, vascular disease, infection and environmental factors can also cause the disease. Currently, only two drugs have been approved for the treatment of Alzheimers disease, but they only target symptoms and cannot cure or prevent the disease. Ongoing research aims to better understand Alzheimers disease and develop treatments that can slow or change its progress in response to mechanisms such as beta-amyloid plaques, inflammation and cholinergic dysfunction with abnormal tau metabolism. The focus of this review is on current drug therapy and the causes of Alzheimers disease, including those that change the disease, as a partner, or use natural compounds.

Redox homeostasis and pH monitoring: a step forward to personalized medicine and dermatology

Skin is continually subjected to various environmental stressors, such as pollution, UV rays, and other oxidative damage factors. It is obligatory to ascertain the exact importance of redox status and ROS indicators, which may be assessed in diverse physiological fluids and tissues. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause lipid peroxidation, which can compromise the integrity and functionality of skin cells by degrading membrane lipids. This may compromise the skin barrier, making the skin more prone to infections and environmental irritants, increasing water loss and dryness. Collagen in the dermis can covalently link to malondialdehyde (MDA), a byproduct of lipid peroxidation generated by oxidatively damaged skin lipids, to form MDA-collagen adducts. Several types of skin cancer are associated with a heightened vulnerability of DNA purine and pyrimidine bases to oxidative damage and altered DNA repair capacity (DRC). Damage from ROS may cause hyaluronate to become less viscous, which increases its susceptibility to degradation. Elastin hydrodynamic radius decreased the rate of self-assembly in response to ROS. Alterations in redox homeostasis can lead to various diseases and conditions, including vitiligo, actinic keratosis, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, systemic sclerosis, the onset of wrinkles, and skin aging. The most recent formulations' capacity to improve pH and Redox simultaneously can be attained by carefully selecting proposed antioxidant formulations. The combination of modern preparations is currently available and should be used in accordance with the suggested guidelines.

Holistic and Practical Approach for Assessing Flood Risks of Low Volume Asphalt Roads

Flood-induced damage to roadways is well recognized and documented in local and national media as well as in the literature. However, the damage to pavement structures that remain visually intact after a flood event are far from well understood, nor is there a guideline for selecting an appropriate engineering tool or procedure to evaluate such structural damage, based on flood characteristics and roadway conditions. While low volume roads are the most vulnerable to flood-induced damage, many municipalities, such as smaller cities, towns, or local government districts, are the least prepared to address such risks and hazards to their transportation infrastructure because of the lack of financial or technical resources. A holistic framework for assessing flood damage after a flood event or for future flood scenarios is proposed, which considers destructiveness of hazard (i.e., flood), vulnerability, and consequence of the flood. A quantitative, composite indicator, risk factor ( RF), as a multiplication of hazard destructiveness factor ( HF), vulnerability factor ( VF), and consequence factor ( CF), can readily be approximated with flood characteristics, pavement characteristics, and functional class of pavement and traffic volume. A flooding risk map is then developed, on the basis of the RF in a space of physical damage factor ( PF)–consequence factor ( CF). The map is divided into three different risk zones: high risk zone ( RF>64), medium risk zone (27< RF≤64), and low risk zone ( RF≤27). The proposed holistic, quantitative approach has been applied to six flooded pavement sections in Louisiana to evaluate its feasibility and application potential.

BUILDING QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTRACTOR LIABILITY IN REAL ESTATE HOUSES ACCORDING TO IJÂRAH 'ALA AL-'AMÂL

This article aims to examine the quality assurance of buildings with a piecework system and contractor coverage on real estate houses according to ijârah 'ala al-'amâl. The type of research used is descriptive with a normative sociological approach. Data collection techniques through interviews, documentation, data analysis. The results showed that the occurrence of several post-development damage factors such as material quality, construction errors, extreme environmental conditions. So that it can affect the occurrence of damage to buildings such as damage; structural and non-structural, due to environmental factors, utility systems, improper use and maintenance, humidity, unauthorized structural changes, finishing, exterior and landscape areas, due to natural disasters. Contractor building quality assurance is fully responsible starting from complying with regulations and guidelines, during the construction period the contractor always conducts supervision / inspection on a scale and after the work is completed the contractor repairs defects or damage that arise due to errors in implementation during the construction period. Ijârah 'ala al-'amâl regulates the reciprocal relationship between the parties and the reward in accordance with the agreement, the concept of ijârah 'ala al-'amâl emphasizes to pay attention to the level of quality that must be met and encourages workers to commit to maintaining it. The concept of ijârah 'ala al-'amâl as a whole offers a more structured framework and can provide a stronger foundation for developers to demand the fulfillment of quality standards because the work contract in the context of ijârah 'ala al-'amâl is directed based on the principles of Islamic law and has high legitimacy so as to provide better legal certainty.

Vibration-based methods for local damage identification of breathing cracks in truss-like structures

A vibration-based local damage identification method is proposed for truss-like structures with breathing cracks. Firstly, a bilinear model is established to represent the characteristics of breathing cracks, and the features of such cracks are detected through reciprocity and homogeneity tests on structural input-output signals. Since the crack is influenced by tensional and compressive forces on truss members, only one damage factor is required to quantify the stiffness reduction of each member. Subsequently, a dynamic equilibrium equation concerning the damage factor is constructed to identify the new load term. The integral equation method, which relies on the virtual work principle, is employed to obtain the displacement responses and loads under all tensile conditions. Finally, the mean value of cumulative damage coefficients for each truss member can be derived as their corresponding damage factor. Numerical examples involving a plane truss structure and a truss offshore platform are utilised to illustrate the effectiveness of this damage identification method. The results demonstrate exceptional precision and efficiency in accurately identifying various damages in truss structures under different excitations and signal-to-noise ratios. A actual space truss structure confirm that this damage identification method exhibits high-level precision in identifying single-member damages as well as multi-member damages with breathing cracks locally.

Remimazolam protects the liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting the MAPK/ERK pathway

BackgroundIschemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major factor in liver damage following hepatic resection and liver transplantation, with anesthetics demonstrating the ability to shield organs from this type of injury.MethodsHypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) was used to create in vitro I/R hepatocyte cell injury models. The CCK-8 assay, flow cytometer, LDH assay, and ELSIA were utilized to assess hepatocyte injury. The in vivo I/R injury rat model was then built. HE and TUNEL staining were used to assess liver tissue damage. Western-blot was applied to assess the activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway.ResultsRemimazolam (RMZL) remarkably improved cell viability and decreased apoptosis in H/R-induced hepatocyte injury. RMZL reduced the release of H/R-induced inflammatory mediators (TNF-α and IL-6) as well as LDH levels. We also discovered that RMZL inhibited p38 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in vivo and in vitro. The stimulation of MAPK/ERK, on the other hand, abolished RMZL’s anti-inflammation effects in H/R-induced hepatocyte injury. Furthermore, RMZL reduced liver tissue injury in I/R rats.ConclusionRMZL prevented hepatic I/R damage by inhibiting MAPK/ERK signaling.

Leveraging Hypotension Prediction Index to Forecast LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury and Inflammation in a Porcine Model: Exploring the Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor in Circulatory Shock.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical illness in critically unwell patients, characterized by refractory hypoxemia and shock. This study evaluates an early detection tool and investigates the relationship between hypoxia and circulatory shock in ARDS, to improve diagnostic precision and therapy customization. We used a porcine model, inducing ARDS with mechanical ventilation and intratracheal plus intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. Hemodynamic changes were monitored using an Acumen IQ sensor and a ForeSight Elite sensor connected to the HemoSphere platform. We evaluated tissue damage, inflammatory response, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) alterations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry. The results showed severe hypotension and increased heart rates post-LPS exposure, with a notable rise in the hypotension prediction index (HPI) during acute lung injury (p = 0.024). Tissue oxygen saturation dropped considerably in the right brain region. Interestingly, post-injury HIF-2α levels were lower at the end of the experiment. Our findings imply that the HPI can effectively predict ARDS-related hypotension. HIF expression levels may serve as possible markers of rapid ARDS progression. Further research should be conducted on the clinical value of this novel approach in critical care, as well as the relationship between the HIF pathway and ARDS-associated hypotension.

ZK60 alloy deformation and damage at different temperatures using unified constitutive model

The deformation behaviour and damage mechanism of ZK60 magnesium alloy under temperatures of 25–140 °C and strain rates of 0.01–0.0001 s−1 were investigated by uniaxial hot tensile and characterization experiments. The results suggested that the main factor for damage in ZK60 magnesium alloy was the nucleation, growth and coalescence of microdefects such as microvoids and cracks around the second-phase particles and/or grain boundaries. Then, a unified constitutive model including damage evolution, work hardening and recovery mechanisms was established. The model, verified by experimental data, shows good predictability. It was implemented into ABAQUS software through the VUMAT subroutine, which then predicted and analyzed the microstructure evolution.

A micropolar damage model for size-dependent concrete fracture problems and crack propagation simulated by PDDO method

Lots of experiments observe the size-dependent phenomena of concrete mechanical behaviors. In this paper, the micropolar theory is adopted to describe the size effects by introducing two size-related parameters into their constitutive equations, named coupling number N and characteristic length l. A micropolar damage model is built for size-dependent concrete fracture problems utilizing the bond-based peridynamic (PD) idea. That is, the material damage and fracture behaviors are determined by the local damage factors of the PD bonds. Then, the tensile strength of a concrete specimen is numerically estimated by the PD differential operator (PDDO) method. The influences of the size parameters N and l on the tensile strength are studied. By comparing with the transformed Bažant size-effect law and the fitting error analysis, the reasonable values of N and l are determined for a certain reinforced concrete composite. Finally, by using the determined micropolar damage model, the crack propagation paths in concrete members are numerically simulated.

Energy evolution and damage model of sandstone under seepage-creep-disturbance loading

The geological environment of deep coal seam is complex, and the failure mechanism of coal seam under the action of seepage pressure and disturbance stress is unclear, which restricts the development of deep ground engineering. In this study, triaxial compression test of sandstone under seepage-creep-disturbance loading (SCD) was carried out to analyze the characteristics of disturbance deformation, creep rate and permeability. The focus was on the energy evolution law of sandstone under SCD, and the damage creep model was constructed based on the energy proportion. The results show that the creep increment of sandstone under disturbed load was significantly higher than that under undisturbed load, and the stress level can promote the expansion and development of microcracks, in which the creep increment under high stress level showed a jump increase. The total energy and elastic energy of sandstone showed a step change with time. The damage factor under disturbance load was defined in the form of energy dissipation ratio, and the corresponding coupling damage factor was determined by considering the seepage factor and creep factor, which can reflect the coupled damage deformation of sandstone under SCD. Based on fractional order theory, a nonlinear damage creep model describing sandstone deformation under SCD was established by connecting the acceleration element in series with the Nishihara model and introducing the coupling damage factor. This study can provide research ideas for water inrush of coal seam rock mass.

Research progress on freeze–thaw constitutive model of concrete based on damage mechanics

Abstract In cold areas, freeze–thaw damage seriously affects the long-term use and safe operation of concrete structures. The constitutive model is an important foundation for predicting deformation and strength characteristics of concrete materials and for the non-linear analysis of concrete structures. This study is based on the elaboration of methods for the constitutive model of damaged materials by using damage mechanics and others. This study focuses on the existing constitutive model results of concrete under the static axial compression load, dynamic load, and coupling environmental load, and analyzing the problems in existing studies. Research has shown that segmented models exhibit higher fitting accuracy of concrete freeze–thaw constitutive model under static axial compression loads. By defining coupled damage variables, it is possible to approach the actual freeze–thaw damage of concrete under environmental coupling, and attention should be paid to the differences or interactions between damage factors. In order to meet the actual engineering needs of high altitude and cold areas needs to expand the temperature range of freeze–thaw tests and consider the dynamic loads impact on concrete damage, the establishment of constitutive model of concrete under the actual freeze–thaw damage is the focus of frost-resistant durability research of hydraulic concrete in cold regions.

Structure, Functions And Clinical Significance Of DNA: A Review Article

The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carries hereditary codes which is translated by the cells to synthesize the ribonucleic acid (RNA) and polypeptides which can generate and perform vital function. The double helix structure is the most studied model of the DNA that was proposed by Watson and Crick. The capability of DNA to work as a genetic material can be stored and conducted during cell division to permit this information to be doubled and transmitted to the incoming generation. Any damage in the structure of DNA is an essential direct cause for the progression of cancer and other disorders. The factors for DNA damage can be classified as exogenous and endogenous factors. In this review article, we highlight the evidence-supported information about the structure, functions and clinical significance of DNA.

Investigation of the freeze-thaw deterioration behavior of hydraulic concrete under various curing temperatures

To address the issue of damage and deterioration of hydraulic concrete materials in cold regions, experiments were conducted to investigate the microstructural and mechanical properties of concrete under the combined effects of various curing temperatures and freeze-thaw (F‒T) cycles. The results indicate that as the curing temperature decreases, the peak compressive strength of concrete decreases, while the peak strain increases and the elastic modulus decreases. These trends become more pronounced with the progression of F‒T cycles. Additionally, during the compression failure process of concrete, the amplitude of the acoustic emission exhibits a more significant and rapid increase as it approaches the critical state, indicating a stronger brittle characteristic of concrete after F‒T damage. Microscopic test results demonstrate that the influence of curing temperature on the pore structure of concrete after F‒T primarily manifests in the mesopores and large pores. Moreover, the reduction in curing temperature increases internal defects in concrete, deteriorates the crystallinity of hydration products, and leads to the aggregation of unhydrated cement particles. Insufficient curing temperatures slow the hydration rate of cementitious materials, affecting the density and overall performance of concrete. Finally, damage prediction models based on the Weibull distribution were established, using the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity, compressive strength loss rate, and mass loss rate as damage factors. The model based on the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity was more sensitive to the number of F‒T cycles. All models exhibited a goodness of fit exceeding 0.89, indicating that they accurately reflect variations in the observed data and can be used to predict the service life of concrete under F‒T cycles. This provides theoretical references for the degradation and damage of hydraulic concrete in cold regions.

Modeling of scattering coefficient for biological tissues exposed to near-infrared laser irradiation

Photothermal therapy using a near-infrared laser is a promising noninvasive treatment protocol for metastatic lymph nodes in breast, head, and neck cancers. From a thermal engineering perspective, the key to this therapy is accurately predicting the temperature distribution in the tissue due to laser irradiation. In this study, we focused on quantitatively modeling the scattering coefficient (σs), which changes with heating and significantly impacts the temperature distribution. First, we experimentally determined the change in σs due to heating using biological tissue and attempted to represent σs as a function of thermal damage factor which is based on the Arrhenius equation. Next, this function was incorporated into the radiative transfer equation to perform simulations. The results demonstrated significant agreement with the experimental data compared to those with constant σs. The root mean square error for the simulations with dynamic σs was approximately 2.0 (°C), which was half that of the simulations with constant σs. Although laser scattering in vivo is a complex phenomenon, the method proposed in this study is expected to offer an approach for predicting temperatures and determining appropriate laser power and irradiation time to prevent overheating or underheating in photothermal therapy.

Soiling, cleaning, and abrasion: The results of the 5-year photovoltaic glass coating field study

External contamination (“soiling”) of the incident surface is a major limiting factor for solar technologies. A 5-year field glass coupon study was conducted to better understand external contamination and its effects; compare cleaning methods and the use of preventative coatings; and explore the abrasion resulting from cleaning to advise on accelerated abrasion testing. Test sites included the cities of Dubai (UAE), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Mesa (AZ), Mumbai (India), and Sacramento (CA). Through the 5-year cumulative study, dry brush, water spray, and wet sponge and squeegee cleaning methods were compared to no cleaning. Optical microscopy was used to obtain images, including representative color images, grayscale images for object analysis, and oblique images for coating integrity assessment. A thresholding protocol was developed to analyze and distinguish specimens using the ImageJ software. Optical performance was quantified using a spectrophotometer, including comprehensive optical characterization (transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance in addition to forward- and back-scattering). Atomic force microscopy was used to verify the abrasion damage morphology, including the width and depth of surface scratches. Analysis of the results included correlation of optical performance and particle area coverage, rank order (by coating or location), and the acceleration factor for abrasion damage. The efficacy of external cleaning was more readily distinguished from the effectiveness of antisoiling coatings. The acceleration factor for dry brush cleaning of a porous silica coating was found to be on the order of unity.

DNMT1-Mediated the Downregulation of FOXF1 Promotes High Glucose-induced Podocyte Damage by Regulating the miR-342-3p/E2F1 Axis.

Podocyte damage plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of transcription factors plays a crucial role in podocyte damage in DN. However, the biological functions and underlying mechanisms of most transcription factors in hyperglycemia-induced podocytes damage remain largely unknown. Through integrated analysis of data mining, bioinformatics, and RT-qPCR validation, we identified a critical transcription factor forkhead box F1 (FOXF1) implicated in DN progression. Moreover, we discovered that FOXF1 was extensively down-regulated in renal tissue and serum from DN patients as well as in high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte damage. Meanwhile, our findings showed that FOXF1 might be a viable diagnostic marker for DN patients. Functional experiments demonstrated that overexpression of FOXF1 strikingly enhanced proliferation, outstandingly suppressed apoptosis, and dramatically reduced inflammation and fibrosis in HG-induced podocytes damage. Mechanistically, we found that the downregulation of FOXF1 in HG-induced podocyte damage was caused by DNMT1 directly binding to FOXF1 promoter and mediating DNA hypermethylation to block FOXF1 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, we found that FOXF1 inhibited the transcriptional expression of miR-342-3p by binding to the promoter of miR-342, resulting in reduced sponge adsorption of miR-342-3p to E2F1, promoting the expression of E2F1, and thereby inhibiting HG-induced podocytes damage. In conclusion, our findings showed that blocking the FOXF1/miR-342-3p/E2F1 axis greatly alleviated HG-induced podocyte damage, which provided a fresh perspective on the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies for DN patients.

Shear behavior of seawater sea-sand concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars after seawater dry-wet cycling

The shear behavior of 27 basalt fiber-reinforced polymer reinforced seawater sea-sand concrete (BFRP-SSC) beams after seawater dry-wet cycling was comprehensively investigated. Parameters considered included stirrup diameter and spacing, shear span-to-depth ratio, stirrup surface treatment, cycling duration, concrete cover thickness, and seawater temperature. Results indicate that seawater dry-wet cycling increases cracking load and decreases bending stiffness in BFRP-SSC beams. Increasing shear span-to-depth ratio from 1.55 to 2.35 led to load reductions of 31.3 % and 49.7 % at 6.5 mm mid-span deflection. Seawater dry-wet cycling, particularly temperature and duration, significantly impacts the mechanical properties of stirrups. This results in diminished shear contribution and reduced efficacy in inhibiting diagonal crack propagation, leading to a shift in beam failure mode from diagonal compression failure to shear compression failure and diagonal tension failure. Increasing cycling duration from 60 to 120 days decreased tensile strength retention by 19.1 % and 33.3 % respectively. Based on experimental data, Arrhenius theory, and the time shift factor (TSF) method, a predictive model was developed for the shear capacity retention of beams subjected to seawater dry-wet cycling. Results indicate that after 100 years in a tidal environment (70 % and 90 % relative humidity), shear capacity damage factors of 0.77 and 0.52, respectively, can be applied to account for the impact of seawater dry-wet cycling on the shear capacity of BFRP-SSC beams.

Mechanical behavior and thermal damage characterization of granite after flame jet-water cooling treatment

Flame jet-assisted mechanical rock drilling is expected to solve the hard-rock crushing challenges in underground engineering such as mining, tunneling, and drilling. Therefore, it is important to investigate mechanical behavior of the rock after flame jet-water cooling treatment. In this paper, granite blocks were subjected to flame jet-water cooling treatment, which means the rapid heating of the granite using a flame with a temperature of 1564 °C, followed by water cooling. Then, physico-mechanical behaviors of samples at different distances (all the distances mentioned later mean the vertical distance between the sample axis and the flame jet-water cooling path) were measured. Results showed physico-mechanical parameters of the sample increased as the distance increased. The Vp (P-wave velocity), UCS (uniaxial compressive strength) and BTS (Brazilian tensile strength) of the samples increased from 3171.7 m/s, 84.84 MPa and 5.01 MPa at 0 mm to 3619.3 m/s, 145.86 MPa and 7.30 MPa at 70 mm, respectively. Meanwhile, physico-mechanical parameters of samples at 70 mm all reached more than 95 % of those of untreated samples. As the distance increased, cumulative AE counts at peak stress gradually enhanced, and failure modes of uniaxial samples shifted from shear to tensile splitting failure. The SEM (scanning electron microscope) images illustrated that the closer to the flame jet-water cooling path, the more thermal cracks produced in the sample. Meanwhile, the damage factor can well characterize the thermal damage degree of granite. According to the variation of physico-mechanical parameters and SEM images of samples with distances, it can be assumed that the thermal damage width of granite after flame jet-water cooling was about 140 mm. It was much greater than the 50 mm width of spalling pits, which greatly increased the feasibility of thermal-assisted mechanical rock drilling. The tensile stress induced by the temperature gradient below the spalling pit is the fundamental cause of thermal damage to the rock, which is further aggravated by water cooling. The findings can provide some guidance for flame jet-assisted mechanical rock drilling.

Cannabidiol effectively prevents oxidative stress and stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) in an animal model of global hypoxia

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotomimetic phytocannabinoid derived from Cannabis sativa. It has therapeutic effects in different paradigms of brain injury, acting as a neuroprotectant. As oxidative stress is a primary risk factor for brain damage after neonatal hypoxia, we tested the effect of CBD on oxidative status and non-protein-bound iron accumulation in the immature brain after hypoxia. Moreover, we tested whether cannabidiol affects the accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) which plays a key role in the regulation of cellular adaptation to hypoxia and oxidative stress. We used 7-day-old mice randomly assigned to hypoxic or control groups. Immediately after hypoxia or control exposure, pups were randomly assigned to a vehicle or CBD treatment. 24 h later, they were decapitated and the brains were immediately removed and stored for further biochemical analyses. We found that CBD reduced lipid peroxidation and prevented antioxidant depletion. For the first time, we also demonstrated that CBD upregulated HIF-1α protein level. This study indicates that CBD may effective agent in attenuating the detrimental consequences of perinatal asphyxia.