Open cracks and cavities play important roles in fluid transport. Underground water penetration induces microcrack activity, which can lead to rock failure and earthquakes. Fluids in cracks can ...affect earthquake generation mechanisms through physical and physicochemical effects. Methods for characterizing the crack shape and water saturation of underground rock are needed for many scientific and industrial applications. The ability to estimate the status of cracks by using readily observable data such as elastic-wave velocities would be beneficial. We have demonstrated a laboratory method for estimating the crack status inside a cylindrical rock sample based on a vertically cracked transversely isotropic solid model by using measured P- and S-wave velocities and porosity derived from strain data. During injection of water to induce failure of a stressed rock sample, the crack aspect ratio changed from 1/400 to 1/160 and the degree of water saturation increased from 0 to 0.6. This laboratory-derived method can be applied to well-planned observations in field experiments. The in situ monitoring of cracks in rock is useful for industrial and scientific applications such as the sequestration of carbon dioxide and other waste, induced seismicity, and measuring the regional stress field.
Earthquake magnitude is closely related to the depth extent of the seismogenic zone, and higher magnitude earthquakes occur where the seismogenic zone is thicker. The frictional properties of the ...dominant mineral constituents of the crust, such as feldspar-group minerals, control the depth extent of the seismogenic zone. Here, the velocity dependence of the steady-state friction of anorthite, the calcic endmember of the feldspar mineral series, was measured at temperatures from 20 to 600 °C, pore pressures of 0 (“dry”) and 50 MPa (“wet”), and an effective pressure of 150 MPa. The results support previous findings that the frictional properties of feldspar play a dominant role in limiting the depth extent of the seismogenic zone. This evidence suggests that brittle deformation of anorthite may be responsible for brittle fault movements in the brittle–plastic transition zone.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a disease characterized by relapsing eczema with pruritus as a primary lesion, which is frequently encountered in clinical practice. Skin barrier dysfunction leads to ...enhanced skin irritability to non-specific stimuli and epicutaneous sensitization. In the lesion site, a further inflammation-related reduction in skin barrier function, enhanced irritability and scratching-related stimuli deteriorate eczema, leading to vicious cycle of inflammation. The current strategies to treat AD in Japan from the perspective of evidence-based medicine consist of three primary measures: (i) the use of topical corticosteroids and tacrolimus ointment as the main treatment for the inflammation; (ii) topical application of emollients to treat the cutaneous barrier dysfunction; and (iii) avoidance of apparent exacerbating factors, psychological counseling and advice about daily life. The guidelines present recommendations to review clinical research articles, evaluate the balance between the advantages and disadvantages of medical activities, and optimize medical activity-related patient outcomes with respect to several important points requiring decision-making in clinical practice.
ABSTRACT This is an abridged edition of English version of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Atopic Dermatitis 2021. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a disease characterized by ...relapsing eczema with pruritus as a primary lesion. In Japan, from the perspective of evidence-based medicine, the current strategies for the treatment of AD consist of three primary measures: (i) use of topical corticosteroids, tacrolimus ointment, and delgocitinib ointment as the main treatment of the inflammation; (ii) topical application of emollients to treat the cutaneous barrier dysfunction; and (iii) avoidance of apparent exacerbating factors, psychological counseling, and advice about daily life. In the present revised guidelines, the description about three new drugs, namely, dupilumab, delgocitinib, and baricitinib, has been added. The guidelines present recommendations to review clinical research articles, evaluate the balance between the advantages and disadvantages of medical activities, and optimize medical activity-related patient outcomes with respect to several important points requiring decision-making in clinical practice.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a disease characterized by relapsing eczema with pruritus as a primary lesion. The current strategies to treat AD in Japan from the perspective of evidence‐based medicine ...consist of three primary measures: (i) the use of topical corticosteroids and tacrolimus ointment as the main treatment for the inflammation; (ii) topical application of emollients to treat the cutaneous barrier dysfunction; and (iii) avoidance of apparent exacerbating factors, psychological counseling and advice about daily life. The guidelines present recommendations to review clinical research articles, evaluate the balance between the advantages and disadvantages of medical activities, and optimize medical activity‐related patient outcomes with respect to several important points requiring decision‐making in clinical practice.
Fault zones consist of a high-strain fault core and a surrounding damage zone of highly fractured rock. The close, reciprocal relationship between fault zones and earthquake rupture evolution demands ...better understanding of the processes that create and modify damage zones. This study modeled the evolution of a damage zone in the laboratory by monitoring seismic signals (acoustic emissions) in a specimen of ultramylonite stressed to failure. The result provided evidence supporting the strength recovery of parts of the healed surface. A new fault initiated in an area of heterogeneous structure a short distance from the preexisting fault plane. Repeated cycles of fracture and healing may be one mechanism responsible for wide fault zones with multiple fault cores and damage zones.
Dear Editor, Some atopic dermatitis (AD) patients have facial redness that is resistant to dupilumab, even though the lesions on other parts of their body are responsive to treatment. The reason for ...this phenomenon is unclear. We report the dermoscopic, histological, and clinical findings of dupilumab-resistant facial erythema (DRFE). Case 1: A 49-year-old female patient had suffered from AD and used topical corticosteroids on her face, trunk, and extremities from childhood. Before she was treated with dupilumab, her face exhibited erythema and lichenification with mild itching. We performed a pretreatment biopsy of her cheek erythema, which showed epidermal acanthosis with spongiosis, perifollicular inflammatory infiltrates, composed of histiocytes and lymphocytes, and dilated superficial vessels. After 52 weeks of dupilumab treatment, the lichenification lesions had gradually improved; however, the facial erythema remained; i.e., she had DRFE.
Background Interleukin (IL)-33 is a new member of the IL-1 cytokine family and a promoter of T helper type 2 (Th2) inflammation. IL-33 may be involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), ...but its relationship with disease severity, laboratory markers, and eruption types in patients with AD are unclear. Objective The aim of this study was to quantify serum IL-33 levels in patients with AD and to examine relationships with disease severity, laboratory markers, and eruption types. Methods Serum IL-33 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with AD, chronic idiopathic urticaria, and psoriasis and in healthy control subjects. Results Serum levels of IL-33 were significantly higher in patients with AD compared with those in patients with urticaria and psoriasis and in healthy control subjects, and were correlated with the disease severity of AD. IL-33 levels were also significantly correlated with excoriation and xerosis scores, but not with blood eosinophilia, serum IgE, serum thymus and activation-related chemokine, and serum lactate dehydrogenase. Elevated IL-33 levels were significantly reduced after improvement of skin lesions by drug treatment. Limitation A limitation in the study was the small number of subjects. Conclusion Our results suggest that IL-33 released from mechanically injured or barrier-disrupted skin may increase inflammation in AD.
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