bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classic Imaging Findings of Tetralogy of Fallot with 64-slice Multidetector Computed Tomography
Authors: Siraj Nawshin , Ghafoor Nusrat , Selim Md Rokonujjaman , Islam SM Shaheedul , Deepa Khalada Parvin , Ashraf Mir Mahin
Published: July 2021

Background & objective: The present study was intended to demonstrate the role of Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) in defining the extracardiac vascular abnormalities including the pulmonary arterial tree, Major Aortopulmonary Collateral Arteries (MAPCAs), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and detection of the common and uncommon findings in Fallot’s Tetralogy cases for proper pre-surgical evaluation.

Methods: A retrospective review of all multidetector CT images acquired to evaluate suspected cases of Tetralogy of Fallot, presented at Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital & Research Institute between July 2017 and July 2018, was done. This comprised of a total of 35 cases who were examined by 64-slice MDCT. The patients were divided into four main groups: those with classic Tetralogy of Fallot with no associations, those with common associations, those with uncommon associations and those with a combination of common and uncommon associations.

Results: In the present study, majority of the patients had levocardia (93.6%), situs solitus (96.9%) with none of the patients having either atrio-ventricular or arterio-ventricular discordance. Major findings of the patients were VSD (93.8%), right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (65%) with ventricular hypertrophy (75%). All patients had overriding of aorta with over 60% of the patients having 50% and 28% > 50% overriding. Approximately 3.1% of the patients had MPA atresia. MPA stenosis was detected in 93.3% of the cases.

Conclusion: A customized approach to MDCT imaging improves the diagnostic accuracy and reduces unnecessary prolongation of the study and sedation times. A careful preoperative perception of the complex cardiovascular anatomy in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot aids in exposing the patients to a directed and prepared surgical approach.

Ibrahim Card Med J 2019; 9 (1&2): 16-22
Perception About the Use of Over-the-Counter Antibiotics Among Patients Attending Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh
Authors: Ahmed Md Ashraf Uddin , Morshed ASM , Yasmin Farzana , Chakraborty Dwijraz
Published: July 2021

Background & objective: Antibiotics are considered among the most commonly sold drug classes in the developing countries. The irrational and overuse of antibiotics result not only in the emergence of resistant bacterial strains but also adverse reactions and economic burden on national health system. This study was carried out with the focus to assess the awareness, attitude and practice of patients visiting Outpatient Department (OPD) of Bangladesh Institute of Research & Development in Endocrine & Metabolism (BIRDEM) General Hospital. towards antibiotic usage and development of its resistance

Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in the OPD of BIRDEM General Hospital from June 2017 to July 2017. Patients presented at OPD were selected by convenient sampling. The total number of respondents was 100. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: Of all the participants who took part in the study, 46% had no knowledge and 36% were unaware of ill-effects of antibiotic resistance. Over half (54%) of the patients showed confusion between antibiotic and antiviral drugs. Investigating patients’ practice about antibiotics revealed that 50% patients used to take incomplete antibiotic course and 30% patients shared their antibiotics with other sick family members. During emergencies, 16% patients used the previously left-over antibiotics without seeing the expiry date. Nearly half (46%) of the patients had a practice of taking previously prescribed antibiotic again for the similar nature of illness without consulting a doctor, 6% patients sought antibiotics prescription whenever they consult a doctor.

Conclusion: Although the results of this study cannot be generalized to all adult Bangladeshi, indiscriminate use of antibiotic and unawareness of antibiotic resistance and poor attitude towards the antibiotic usage can be a concern for antibiotic resistance in Bangladesh. It highlights the need of educational interventions to increase awareness of people about the consequences of antibiotic misuse and also to develop healthy attitude to practice antibiotic usage.

Ibrahim Card Med J 2019; 9 (1&2): 42-48
Safety and Feasibility of Transradial Approach for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Intervention
Authors: Gomes Hemanta I , Kabir CM Shaheen , Khan Saidur Rahman , Azam MG , Rahman Syed Mosfiqur
Published: July 2021

Background & Objective: To compare the safety and feasibility of using radial versus femoral access during coronary artery intervention of patients who had previously undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Methods: The study was conducted in Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital & Research Institute (ICHRI), Dhaka from January 2013 to December 2015. During the period a total of 380 patients with past CABG surgery underwent diagnostic coronary angiogram (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at our institution. We retrospectively evaluated 98 consecutive patients who underwent graft intervention via the transradial (TRA, n=54) or transfemoral approach (TFA, n=44) route. Baseline clinical characteristics, angiographic characteristics and complications between the two study groups were observed.

Result: The baseline clinical characteristics between the two study groups were similar. No significant difference was observed in terms of angiographic characteristics between the two groups. Contrast volume in between the groups was pretty similar (p = 0.267). Procedure time (40±20 min vs. 41±7 min, p=0.36) and fluoroscopy time (11.1±6.5 min vs. 12.5±8.7 min, p=0.19) were almost similar in both access for graft intervention. All PCI attempts were successful in both groups. Stent deployment was significantly more common in the TR access group. No significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of target vessel intervention. There was no major adverse cardiac event during hospitalization. However, the vascular access site complications were significantly lower (p=0.003) in the TRA group.

Conclusion: The TRA for coronary artery bypass graft intervention is safe and feasible.

Ibrahim Card Med J 2019; 9 (1&2): 23-28
Health Vulnerabilities and Resilience to Climate Change: An Update of International Progress
Authors: Mohd Arifuzzaman - , Rahman M Mizanur , Islam Md Sultan Ul , Uddin Md Nezam
Published: July 2021

Despite being one of the most important societal challenges of the 21st century, public engagement with climate change currently remains low worldwide. Mounting evidence from across the behavioral sciences has found that most people regard climate change as a non-urgent and psychologically distant risk—spatially, temporally, and socially-which has led to deferred public decision making about mitigation and adaptation responses. Climate change is increasing risks to human health and to the health systems that seek to protect the safety and well-being of populations. Health authorities require information about current associations between health outcomes and weather or climate, vulnerable populations, projections of future risks and adaptation opportunities in order to reduce exposures, empower individuals to take needed protective actions and build climate-resilient health systems. Health authorities from local to national levels badly seek this information by conducting climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments. While assessments can provide valuable information to plan for climate change impacts, they are often not integrated into adaptation decision making, probably because the health sector is not involved in climate change policy-making processes at the national level. Significant barriers related to data accessibility, a limited number of climate and health models, uncertainty in climate projections, and a lack of funding and expertise, particularly in developing countries, challenge health authority efforts to conduct rigorous assessments and apply the findings. This paper reviews the evolution of climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments, including guidance developed from such projects, and implementation of the findings to support health adaptation action. The findings derived from the study will support collaborative efforts to protect health from current and future climate change hazards. Health authorities may benefit from additional resources to ensure that evidence about climate change impacts on health could effectively be translated into needed actions to build health resilience.

Ibrahim Card Med J 2019; 9 (1&2): 80-92
Klasifikasi Penentuan Kelayakan Pemberian Pinjaman Pada Koperasi Karyawan Menggunakan Algoritma C4.5
Authors: Sunarti Sunarti
Published: July 2021

Penelitian ini membahas klasifikasi menggunakan algoritma C4.5 untuk penentuan kelayakan pemberian pinjaman pada koperasi karyawan Aparteman Senayan Jakarta. Permasalahan penentuan kelayakan pemberian pinjaman sangat menggangu perputaran keuangan koperasi tersebut. Metode Algortima C4.5 dipergunakan dalam penetapan pengambilan keputusan penentuan kelayakan pemberian pinjaman pada koperasi karyawan Aparteman Senayan Jakarta, sehingga dapat diketahui level akurasi dan presisinya. Data dianalisis dengan memanfaatkan aplikasi Rapidminer. Rapidminer ialah sebuah software berbasiskan open source. Tujuan penelitian yang dilakukan adalah untuk penentuan kelayakan pemberian pinjaman menggunakan Algoritma C.45 agar dapat memberikan solusi penentuan kelayakan pemberian pinjaman pada koperasi karyawana apartemen Senayan Jakarta. Atribut yang digunakan terdiri dari status pernikahan, jenis kelamin, lokasi kerja, kedisiplinan, status pekerjaan, plafon pinjaman dan status tempat tinggal dengan keputusan layak dan tidak layak. Atribut yang paling berpengaruh terhadap penentuan kelayakan pemberian pinjaman adalah kedisiplinan. Dari hasil pengujian model yang terbentuk memiliki akurasi sebesar 85.19% dengan perolehan hasil pengolahan ROC(Receiver Operating Characteristic) mempergunakan data training sebesar 0.915 level diagnosa excellent classification. Model pohon keputusan yang ada dapat meningkatkan akurasi dalam penentuan kelayakan pemberian pinjaman yang akan diajukan.Kata kunci: Koperasi karyawan, Klasifikasi Pinjaman, Algoritma C4.5, Rapidminer
Penerapan K-Means Cluster Pada Daerah Penggunaan Teknologi di Indonesia
Authors: Mandang Silvana Fitria , Sari Betha Nurina
Published: July 2021

Indonesia saat ini sedang mengalami kondisi yang tidak stabil akibat adanya virus Covid-19. Virus Covid-19 telah menyebar ke seluruh wilayah Indonesia dan menginfeksi ribuan orang. Akibat adanya virus ini hampir semua aspek kehidupan berubah termasuk pendidikan. Pemerintah akhirnya mengeluarkan kebijakan baru dengan mengubah proses belajar dan mengajar tatap muka menjadi daring. Akan tetapi, di Indonesia sendiri perkembangan dan pemanfaatan teknologi komputer dan internet masih belum merata. Umumnya hanya masyarakat perkotaan yang memiliki akses teknologi tinggi dibandingkan dengan pedesaan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menerapkan metode clustering k-means pada penggunaan teknologi siswa umur 5-24 tahun selama pembelajaran daring. Dari hasil penelitian menggunakan 34 data provinsi di Indonesia menghasilkan 3 cluster, cluster pertama dengan kategori tinggi sebanyak 7 provinsi, cluster kedua dengan kategori sedang sebanyak 19 provinsi dan cluster ketiga dengan kategori rendah sebanyak 8 provinsi
Narrative Difference: Jacques Rancière, Gilles Deleuze andUncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Authors: de Cock de Rameyen Jade
Published: July 2021

How should critics approach narrative temporality in times of ecological disorder? Literary critics have attempted to bridge eco-criticism with narrative theory, shifting attention from narrative content to narrative form. Econarratology studies how narrative shapes our understanding of the environment. Yet, eco-critical interrogations of narrative form are lacking. Grounded in a homogeneous conception of time, narratology often relays a dichotomy between narrativity and “dysnarrativity”. This dichotomy fails to translate the variety of temporal processes in film. I shall highlight the problem underlying Jacques Rancière's critique of Deleuze's film-philosophy and its relevance for narrative theory. My discussion of this dispute is grounded in the examination of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010). Critics invariably base their analyses on Boonmee's remembrances and reduce narrative complexity to dysnarrative indeterminacy by accommodating non-human storylines into a human plot. I argue that Uncle Boonmee both confirms and bypasses the critique of linear narrative that is at heart of the Rancière-Deleuze discussion. In doing so, Weerasethakul's feature calls for a new paradigm – different, yet unlike the crystalline narrative, positively determined. By bringing the event to the fore, Deleuze offers another theoretical backdrop for event narratology, that in turn proves useful to econarratology.
Picturing the Autobiographical Imagination: Emotion, Memory and Metacognition inInside Out
Authors: Moss-Wellington Wyatt
Published: July 2021

Inside Out (Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015) develops novel cinematic means for representing memory, emotion and imagination, their interior relationships and their social expression. Its unique animated language both playfully represents pre-teenage metacognition, and is itself a manner of metacognitive interrogation. Inside Out motivates this language to ask two questions: an explicit question regarding the social function of sadness, and a more implicit question regarding how one can identify agency, and thereby a sense of developing selfhood, between one’s memories, emotions, facets of personality, and future-thinking imagination. Both the complexity of the language Inside Out develops to ask these questions, and the complicated answers the film provides, ultimately serve as a manner of recognition of the effortfulness of finding one’s place in the world. This article talks sequentially through the complex representative systems Inside Out advances in order to pay homage to the ways in which metacognitive cinema – as well as discussions and hermeneutic readings around that cinema – can make viewers feel recognised for invisible, internal labour that is existentially difficult to share due to its very interiority; an interiority that is reconstructed in imaginative processes such as autobiographical reminiscence, and filmic animation.
A Survey of Personal-Use Qur'an Manuscripts Based on Fragments from the Cairo Genizah
Authors: Connolly Magdalen M. , Posegay Nick
Published: July 2021

The Cairo Genizah is a repository of texts spanning more than a millennium of Jewish history, including thousands of Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts now held in collections around the world. Among these are fragments from at least 25 separate Qur'an manuscripts in Arabic script, all of which lack any traces of Hebrew writing. Their palaeographic and codicological features do not differ from personal Qur'an manuscripts found in other contexts, and their varied characteristics suggest they were placed into the Genizah at different points throughout its history. They thus provide a diachronic corpus for the study of Arabic writing, the transmission of the Qur'an, and Jewish peoples’ engagement with the Qur'an in Islamicate lands. This paper describes these 25 personal-use Qur'an manuscripts in terms of their material history and orthography, while commenting on their place in the Genizah and the history of the Qur'an.
The Bitter Lot of the Rebellious Wife: Hierarchy, Obedience, and Punishment in Q. 4:34
Authors: Hussain Saqib
Published: July 2021

Q. 4:34 was universally interpreted in premodern Qur'an commentaries and legal works as permitting a husband to strike his wife if she is guilty of nushūz, a term that was understood to mean some manner of disobedience on the wife's part. Thus, according to the traditional interpretation of the verse, a wife is required to show obedience to her husband, and the husband is placed in authority over his wife. In this paper I first engage in a close reading of the verse within its literary context, and re-examine the verse's gender hierarchy and the question of the wife's obedience to her husband. Second, I attempt to re-evaluate the key term nushūz in light of its use elsewhere in the Qur'an, in Jāhilī and early Islamic poetry, and in other early Islamic literature beyond the Qur'an commentaries and legal works. I argue that the evidence consistently shows that nushūz refers not to disobedience, but to a desire to leave one's husband, usually coupled with being involved with another man, and thus may be a euphemism used to refer to marital infidelity. Finally, I explore the relationship between Q. 4:34 and the rabbinic rules for the sotah, or wife suspected of adultery. As we shall see, there is a remarkable overlap in the legislation for the wife suspected of nushūz and the rabbinic sotah, suggesting that the two are addressing the same issue.
Plasma phase transition
Authors: Norman G E , Saitov I M
Published: July 2021

Recently developed experimental methods for the generation and diagnostics of nonideal plasma and warm dense matter are reviewed. Modern theoretical methods applied to solve the problem of fluid–fluid phase transitions, including the plasma phase transition, are considered. Quantum simulation methods and the results obtained in the chemical model of plasma are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the phase transition in warm dense hydrogen/deuterium at high pressures. Results for helium, aluminum, cesium, cerium, ionic, and exciton plasmas and some other substances are also considered.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Based on Electrospun Biomimetic Scaffold Mediated Endothelial Differentiation Facilitating Regeneration and Repair of Abdominal Wall Defects via HIF-1α/VEGF Pathway
Authors: Dong Wenpei , Song Zhicheng , Liu Suihong , Yu Ping , Shen Zhipeng , Yang Jianjun , Yang Dongchao , Hu Qinxi , Zhang Haiguang , Gu Yan
Published: July 2021

Application of synthetic or biological meshes is the main therapy for the repair and reconstruction of abdominal wall defects, a common disease in surgery. Currently, no ideal materials are available, and there is an urgent need to find appropriate ones to satisfy clinical needs. Electrospun scaffolds have drawn attention in soft tissue reconstruction. In this study, we developed a novel method to fabricate a composite electrospun scaffold using a thermoresponsive hydrogel, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-poly (ethylene glycol), and a biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid (PLA). This scaffold provided not only a high surface area/volume ratio and a three-dimensional fibrous matrix but also high biocompatibility and sufficient mechanical strength, and could simulate the native extracellular matrix and accelerate cell adhesion and proliferation. Furthermore, rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were seeded in the composite electrospun scaffold to enhance the defect repair and regeneration by directionally inducing ADSCs into endothelial cells. In addition, we found early vascularization in the process was regulated by the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. In our study, overexpression of HIF-1α/VEGF in ADSCs using a lentivirus system promoted early vascularization in the electrospun scaffolds. Overall, we expect our composite biomimetic scaffold method will be applicable and useful in abdominal wall defect regeneration and repair in the future.
Novel Insights and Current Evidence for Mechanisms of Atherosclerosis: Mitochondrial Dynamics as a Potential Therapeutic Target
Authors: Li Dan , Yang Shengjie , Xing Yanwei , Pan Limin , Zhao Ran , Zhao Yixi , Liu Longtao , Wu Min
Published: July 2021

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis is the underlying pathological basis of CVD. Mitochondrial homeostasis is maintained through the dynamic processes of fusion and fission. Mitochondria are involved in many cellular processes, such as steroid biosynthesis, calcium homeostasis, immune cell activation, redox signaling, apoptosis, and inflammation, among others. Under stress conditions, mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial cristae remodeling, and mitochondrial ROS (mitoROS) production increase, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decreases, calcium homeostasis is imbalanced, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore open (mPTP) and release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are activated. mtDNA recognized by TLR9 can lead to NF-κB pathway activation and pro-inflammatory factor expression. At the same time, TLR9 can also activate NLRP3 inflammasomes and release interleukin, an event that eventually leads to tissue damage and inflammatory responses. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction may amplify the activation of NLRP3 through the production of mitochondrial ROS, which together aggravate accumulating mitochondrial damage. In addition, mtDNA defects or gene mutation can lead to mitochondrial oxidative stress. Finally, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and aging are risk factors for the progression of CVD, which are closely related to mitochondrial dynamics. Mitochondrial dynamics may represent a new target in the treatment of atherosclerosis. Antioxidants, mitochondrial inhibitors, and various new therapies to correct mitochondrial dysfunction represent a few directions for future research on therapeutic intervention and amelioration of atherosclerosis.
CD44v6-O-MWNTS-Loaded Gemcitabine and CXCR4 siRNA Improves the Anti-tumor Effectiveness of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Yin Wen , Qian Su-Min
Published: July 2021

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the female reproductive system and the deadliest gynecologic cancer. CXCR4 is expressed in a variety of malignant tumors such as breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. It is also closely related to the migration, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells. Carbon nanotubes have great potential for targeted therapy of tumors. CD44v6 is not expressed in normal ovarian tissues but is highly expressed in ovarian epithelial carcinoma. In the present study, we applied small interfering RNA targeting the CXCR4 gene and the clinical treatment gemcitabine and oxaliplatin of ovarian cancer as the therapeutic drug, and organically integrated chemotherapy and gene therapy through carbon nanotubes, and used CD44v6 single chain antibody as the targeting moiety to explore its application in ovarian cancer treatment. Significantly, we successfully synthesized CD44v6-O-MWNTS/Gemcitabine/1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP)/siRNA system and the results were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). CD44v6-O-MWNTS/Gemcitabine/DOTAP was able to fully load siRNA at the ratio of 1:2.5. The carbon nanotubes could protect the siRNA. The drug release analysis showed that O-MWNTS/drug/DOTAP/siRNA was able to effectively release the siRNA, and gemcitabine or oxaliplatin in a time-dependent manner. O-MWNTS/drug/DOTAP/siRNA was able to be effectively uptake by ovarian cancer cells. The cellular uptake of CD44v6-O-MWNTS/drug/DOTAP/siRNA mainly depends on lipid raft-mediated endocytosis. CD44v6-O-MWNTS/drug/DOTAP/siRNA improved the effect of siRNA on the inhibition of ovarian cancer cell viability and the induction of cell apoptosis. The expression of CXCR4 was decreased by CD44v6-O-MWNTS/drug/DOTAP/siRNA in ovarian cancer cells. Tumorigenicity analysis in nude mice showed that CD44v6-O-MWNTS/drug/DOTAP/siRNA significantly repressed the tumor growth of ovarian cancer cells in vivo. The levels of Ki-67 and CXCR4 were repressed by CD44v6-O-MWNTS/drug/DOTAP/siRNA in the system. Thus, we concluded that the obtained CD44v6-O-MWNTS could effectively load gemcitabine or oxaliplatin, and CXCR4 siRNA, internalized by cancer cells and realized notable in vitro and in vivo inhibitory function against ovarian cancer growth. Our study provides a promising nanomaterial for the co-delivery of siRNA and anti-tumor drugs for the therapy of ovarian cancer.
Immune Subtypes Based on Immune-Related lncRNA: Differential Prognostic Mechanism of Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Zhang Qiyao , Wang Zhihui , Yu Xiao , Zhang Menggang , Zheng Qingyuan , He Yuting , Guo Wenzhi
Published: July 2021

Pancreatic cancer consists one of tumors with the highest degree of malignancy and the worst prognosis. To date, immunotherapy has become an effective means to improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have also been associated with the immune response. However, the role of immune-related lncRNAs in the immune response of pancreatic cancer remains unclear. In this study, we identified immune-related lncRNA pairs through a new combinatorial algorithm, and then clustered and deeply analyzed the immune characteristics and functional differences between subtypes. Subsequently, the prognostic model of 3 candidate lncRNA pairs was determined by multivariate COX analysis. The results showed significant prognostic differences between the C1 and C2 subtypes, which may be due to the differential infiltration of CTL and NK cells and the activation of tumor-related pathways. The prognostic model of the 3 lncRNA pairs (AC244035.1_vs._AC063926.1, AC066612.1_vs._AC090124.1, and AC244035.1_vs._LINC01885) was established, which exhibits stable and effective prognostic prediction performance. These 3 lncRNA pairs may regulate the anti-tumor effect of immune cells through ion channel pathways. In conclusion, our research demonstrated the panoramic differences in immune characteristics between subtypes and stable prognostic models, and identified new potential targets for immunotherapy.
Bimetallic Ni–Ru and Ni–Re Catalysts for Dry Reforming of Methane: Understanding the Synergies of the Selected Promoters
Authors: Álvarez Moreno Andrea , Ramirez-Reina Tomás , Ivanova Svetlana , Roger Anne-Cécile , Centeno Miguel Ángel , Odriozola José Antonio
Published: July 2021

Designing an economically viable catalyst that maintains high catalytic activity and stability is the key to unlock dry reforming of methane (DRM) as a primary strategy for biogas valorization. Ni/Al2O3 catalysts have been widely used for this purpose; however, several modifications have been reported in the last years in order to prevent coke deposition and deactivation of the samples. Modification of the acidity of the support and the addition of noble metal promoters are between the most reported strategies. Nevertheless, in the task of designing an active and stable catalyst for DRM, the selection of an appropriate noble metal promoter is turning more challenging owing to the lack of homogeneity of the different studies. Therefore, this research aims to compare Ru (0.50 and 2.0%) and Re (0.50 and 2.0%) as noble metal promoters for a Ni/MgAl2O4 catalyst under the same synthesis and reaction conditions. Catalysts were characterized by XRF, BET, XRD, TPR, hydrogen chemisorption (H2-TPD), and dry reforming reaction tests. Results show that both promoters increase Ni reducibility and dispersion. However, Ru seems a better promoter for DRM since 0.50% of Ru increases the catalytic activity in 10% and leads to less coke deposition.
Differentially Expressed Circular Non-coding RNAs in Atherosclerotic Aortic Vessels and Their Potential Functions in Endothelial Injury
Authors: Li Houwei , Liu Xue , Sun Na , Wang Tianshuo , Zhu Jia , Yang Shuang , Song Xia , Wang Ruishuai , Wang Xinhui , Zhao Yixiu , Zhang Yan
Published: July 2021

Background: Circular non-coding RNA (circRNA) has a variety of biological functions. However, the expression profile and potential effects of circRNA on atherosclerosis (AS) and vascular endothelial injury have not been fully elucidated. This study aims to identify the differentially expressed circRNAs in atherosclerotic aortic vessels and predict their potential functions in endothelial injury.

Method: ApoE-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to induce AS. Atherosclerotic plaques were evaluated by H&E and Masson staining and immunohistochemistry; differentially expressed circRNAs were detected by Arraystar Circular RNA Microarray and verified by RT-PCR; the potential target mircoRNAs of circRNAs were predicted by miRanda, Tarbase, Targetscan and their expression changes were verified by RT-PCR; the potential target genes of mircoRNAs were predicted by Targetscan and verified by Western blot; the signaling pathways that they might annotate or regulate and their potential functions in vascular endothelial injury were predicted by gene enrichment analysis.

Results: Fifty two circRNAs were up-regulated more than twice and 47 circRNAs were down-regulated more than 1.5 times in AS aortic vessels. Mmmu_circRNA_36781 and 37699 were up-regulated both in AS aortic vessels and H2O2-treated mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs). The expression of miR-30d-3p and miR-140-3p, the target microRNA of circRNA_37699 and circRNA_36781, were downregulated both in AS vessels and H2O2-treated MAECs. On the contrary, MKK6 and TP53RK, the potential target gene of miR-140-3p and miR-30d-3p, were upregulated both in AS aortic roots and H2O2-treated MAECs. Besides, gene enrichment analysis showed that MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway were the most potential signaling pathways regulated by the differentially expressed circRNAs in atherosclerosis.

Conclusions: Mmu_circRNA_36781 (circRNA ABCA1) and 37699 (circRNA KHDRBS1) were significantly up-regulated in AS aortic vessels and H2O2-treated MAECs. They have potential regulatory effects on atherosclerosis and vascular endothelial injury by targeting miR-30d-3p-TP53RK and miR-140-3p-MKK6 axis and their downstream signaling pathways.
Automated Quality-Controlled Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Pericardial Fat Quantification Using a Convolutional Neural Network in the UK Biobank
Authors: Bard Andrew , Raisi-Estabragh Zahra , Ardissino Maddalena , Lee Aaron Mark , Pugliese Francesca , Dey Damini , Sarkar Sandip , Munroe Patricia B. , Neubauer Stefan , Harvey Nicholas C. , Petersen Steffen E.
Published: July 2021

Background: Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) may represent a novel risk marker for cardiovascular disease. However, absence of rapid radiation-free PAT quantification methods has precluded its examination in large cohorts.

Objectives: We developed a fully automated quality-controlled tool for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) PAT quantification in the UK Biobank (UKB).

Methods: Image analysis comprised contouring an en-bloc PAT area on four-chamber cine images. We created a ground truth manual analysis dataset randomly split into training and test sets. We built a neural network for automated segmentation using a Multi-residual U-net architecture with incorporation of permanently active dropout layers to facilitate quality control of the model's output using Monte Carlo sampling. We developed an in-built quality control feature, which presents predicted Dice scores. We evaluated model performance against the test set (n = 87), the whole UKB Imaging cohort (n = 45,519), and an external dataset (n = 103). In an independent dataset, we compared automated CMR and cardiac computed tomography (CCT) PAT quantification. Finally, we tested association of CMR PAT with diabetes in the UKB (n = 42,928).

Results: Agreement between automated and manual segmentations in the test set was almost identical to inter-observer variability (mean Dice score = 0.8). The quality control method predicted individual Dice scores with Pearson r = 0.75. Model performance remained high in the whole UKB Imaging cohort and in the external dataset, with medium–good quality segmentation in 94.3% (mean Dice score = 0.77) and 94.4% (mean Dice score = 0.78), respectively. There was high correlation between CMR and CCT PAT measures (Pearson r = 0.72, p-value 5.3 ×10−18). Larger CMR PAT area was associated with significantly greater odds of diabetes independent of age, sex, and body mass index.

Conclusions: We present a novel fully automated method for CMR PAT quantification with good model performance on independent and external datasets, high correlation with reference standard CCT PAT measurement, and expected clinical associations with diabetes.
Overview of Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) Support for the Management of Cardiogenic Shock
Authors: Tsangaris Adamantios , Alexy Tamas , Kalra Rajat , Kosmopoulos Marinos , Elliott Andrea , Bartos Jason A. , Yannopoulos Demetris
Published: July 2021

Cardiogenic shock accounts for ~100,000 annual hospital admissions in the United States. Despite improvements in medical management strategies, in-hospital mortality remains unacceptably high. Multiple mechanical circulatory support devices have been developed with the aim to provide hemodynamic support and to improve outcomes in this population. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is the most advanced temporary life support system that is unique in that it provides immediate and complete hemodynamic support as well as concomitant gas exchange. In this review, we discuss the fundamental concepts and hemodynamic aspects of VA-ECMO support in patients with cardiogenic shock of various etiologies. In addition, we review the common indications, contraindications and complications associated with VA-ECMO use.
Impact of Autumn-Winter Tibetan Plateau Snow Cover Anomalies on the East Asian Winter Monsoon and Its Interdecadal Change
Authors: Chen Zhang , Wu Renguang , Wang Zhibiao
Published: July 2021

The present study investigates the impacts of autumn-winter Tibetan Plateau (TP) snow cover anomalies on the interannual variability of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). It is found that the northern component of EAWM is significantly associated with October-November-December-January (ONDJ) snow cover anomalies over the eastern TP, whereas the TP snow cover changes have little impact on the southern component of EAWM. However, the relationship of the northern component of EAWM to ONDJ TP snow cover experienced an obvious change in the mid-1990s. During 1979–1998, due to the high persistence of TP snow anomalies from autumn to winter, extensive ONDJ TP snow cover anomalies have a prominent influence on atmospheric circulation over Asia and the North Pacific, with more TP snow cover followed by an enhanced Siberian high and a deepened Aleutian low in winter, resulting in stronger EAWM. During 1999–2016, TP snow cover anomalies have a weak persistence. The atmospheric circulation anomalies display a different distribution. As such, there is a weak connection between the northern component of EAWM and the TP snow cover anomalies during this period.
Safety of Semaglutide
Authors: Smits Mark M. , Van Raalte Daniël H.
Published: July 2021

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) semaglutide is the most recently approved agent of this drug class, and the only GLP-1RA currently available as both subcutaneous and oral formulation. While GLP-1RAs effectively improve glycemic control and cause weight loss, potential safety concerns have arisen over the years. For semaglutide, such concerns have been addressed in the extensive phase 3 registration trials including cardiovascular outcome trials for both subcutaneous (SUSTAIN: Semaglutide Unabated Sustainability in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes) and oral (PIONEER: Peptide InnOvatioN for the Early diabEtes tReatment) semaglutide and are being studied in further trials and registries, including real world data studies. In the current review we discuss the occurrence of adverse events associated with semaglutide focusing on hypoglycemia, gastrointestinal side effects, pancreatic safety (pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer), thyroid cancer, gallbladder events, cardiovascular aspects, acute kidney injury, diabetic retinopathy (DRP) complications and injection-site and allergic reactions and where available, we highlight potential underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, we discuss whether effects are specific for semaglutide or a class effect. We conclude that semaglutide induces mostly mild-to-moderate and transient gastrointestinal disturbances and increases the risk of biliary disease (cholelithiasis). No unexpected safety issues have arisen to date, and the established safety profile for semaglutide is similar to that of other GLP-1RAs where definitive conclusions for pancreatic and thyroid cancer cannot be drawn at this point due to low incidence of these conditions. Due to its potent glucose-lowering effect, patients at risk for deterioration of existing DRP should be carefully monitored if treated with semaglutide, particularly if also treated with insulin. Given the beneficial metabolic and cardiovascular actions of semaglutide, and the low risk for severe adverse events, semaglutide has an overall favorable risk/benefit profile for patient with type 2 diabetes.
Case Report: An Unusual First Manifestation of a Pheochromocytoma
Authors: Zhai Qiangrong , Tian Ci , Deng Zhengzhao , Liu Congrong , Ma Qingbian
Published: July 2021

We present a 30-year old male presented with hemoptysis as a first manifestation and pulmonary CT scan characteristic of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Further abdominal examination discovered a left adrenal mass. Elevated catecholamine and metanephrine levels and subsequent adrenalectomy confirmed the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Symptoms of pheochromocytoma are highly variable, which could potentially delay the diagnosis. With careful investigation, emergency medicine practitioners need to be aware of the cunning and changeful manifestations in pheochromocytoma.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Transmission Line Inspection: Status, Standardization, and Perspectives
Authors: Li Xin , Li Zijian , Wang Haizhi , Li Wanlin
Published: July 2021

As the biggest country in power consumption and generation, China owns the largest scale of transmission line worldwide. The application of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in inspection has been carried out for many years in China because of its strong adaptability and safety compared to the traditional manual way. For the further development of UAV application technology in transmission line inspection, China has accumulated rich experiences and greatly improved line inspection efficiency and formed a relatively complete UAV transmission line inspection standardization system including operation safety management, an equipment configuration method, and functional quality requirements. However, there still exist some obstacles that need to be tackled due to the fact that China’s UAV transmission line inspection standardization and its international promotion have not been thoroughly and comprehensively studied at present. Based on an in-depth analysis of China’s current UAV transmission line inspection standardization system, this study employs SWOT-PEST analysis to insightfully investigate international promotion opportunities/challenges under the current situation, upon which several constructive suggestions are proposed from four aspects of politics, economy, society, and technology. The ultimate purpose is to design feasible schemes to boost the international promotion of China’s UAV transmission line inspection standardization and further development of international UAV inspection technology.
Pipeline Logic and Culpability: Establishing a Continuum of Harm for Sacrifice Zones
Authors: Randolph Ned
Published: July 2021

This article builds on the concept of Energy Sacrifice Zones, which has been used as a heuristic for areas negatively impacted by environmental degradation and/or pollution that harms nearby residents for broader economic gains elsewhere. Environmental justice scholars have since the 1980s identified urban “fence-line” communities as Sacrifice Zones, such as those along the industrialized Mississippi River corridor downstream of Baton Rouge, La., where public health and property values are impacted by plant emissions. More recent scholarship has identified analogous dispossession in coastal Louisiana, where indigenous and communities of color suffer environmental degradation and land loss from oil industry practices. Coastal oil and gas operations have left behind thousands of miles of pipelines, canals and subsiding oil fields that have accelerated marsh desiccation and land loss. This article argues that both inland and coastal areas of Louisiana are being sacrificed by the fossil fuel industry on a continuum of harm along pipelines from wellheads to inland plants. Oil wells, refineries, and petrochemical plants exist as nodes along a single line of production and manufactured demand for petroleum-based products, which also litter waterways and oceans. Such a continuum establishes a single Sacrifice Zone that conjoins multiple sites. Harmed communities need not be adjacent to one another to be considered logically contiguous and, therefore, subject to consideration of collective harm as long as they are linked by the material infrastructure that connects fossil fuel extraction, production and distribution. This zone of harm, once established, could be used to inform decision makers with more accurate and complex pictures of social and public health costs of industrial emissions and practices, particularly when considering proposals for plant expansions or new facilities. They may also be used to determine legal culpability in restitution claims by communities bearing the burden of the carbon economy.
Novel Quantitative Method for Assessing Driving Forces of Landscape Succession: Case Study From Yancheng Coast, China
Authors: Wang Zhi , Xu Wanggu , Xia Xin , Yu Huanxi , Lv Yingying , Zhang Jianliang
Published: July 2021

Variations in landscape patterns can provide key information on the effects human activity has on landscapes, and consequently, have received increased attention in recent years. This paper mainly deals with the spatio-temporal variation and driving force of the landscape pattern on the Yancheng coast using remote sensing and GIS. The results indicate the following: (1) The landscape was mostly farmland from 1984 to 2008, not wetlands. The landscape matrix changed from a situation in which the natural landscape was equal to the artificial landscape in 1984, while the latter was dominant between 1990 and 2008. The area of natural landscape decreased considerably—the proportion of natural landscapes was 51.07% in 1984, while it decreased to 28.82% in 2008. Artificial landscapes increased significantly—the majority of the increased artificial landscapes were farmland and aquaculture ponds. (2) The changes in these landscapes showed a trend, changing from natural landscapes to artificial landscapes. Salinity is the decisive factor of this fixed route o the landscape successions of the coast. (3) Although Yancheng wetland nature reserve was established in 1984 and was designated as a National Nature Reserve in 1992, anthropogenic activities on the Yancheng coast continue apace, and the trend of natural landscape loss has not changed. (4) According to the analysis of the landscape transition rate of the Yancheng coast during each phase, we concluded that the main driving force of coastal landscape succession was anthropogenic activities. Our method provides a novel quantitative method to assess the driving forces behind landscape successions.
Population Genetics of the Black Citrus Aphid Aphis aurantii (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in China
Authors: Liu Hong-Ling , Chen Zhi-Teng , Liu Chao , Wu Xing-Long , Xiao Ke-Jun , Pu De-Qiang
Published: July 2021

The black citrus aphid, Aphis aurantiiBoyer de Fonscolombe, 1841, is one of the most destructive pests in commercial tea plantations and gardens in China. In this study, we investigated the population genetic structure of A. aurantii based on the concatenated sequences of two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) and cytochrome b (cytb). A total of 166 haplotypes were identified from 177 individuals collected at 11 locations in China. The whole Chinese A. aurantii population showed a low nucleotide diversity (0.00968) and a high population diversity (haplotype diversity; 0.9991). The haplotypes of the 11 local populations were widely distributed in the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree and haplotype network diagram, whereas no apparent lineages were detected. Gene flow analysis showed gene exchanges among local populations. The pairwise Fst values revealed a certain amount of genetic difference among local populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) reflected genetic differences both within and among populations. The isolation by distance (IBD) analysis revealed a high positive correlation between the geographic distance and genetic distance of the different populations. Neutral test and mismatch distribution suggested that A. aurantii may have experienced recent population expansion events.
Localized Augmentation of Net Precipitation to Shrubs: A Case Study of Stemflow Funneling to Hummocks in a Salinity-Intruded Swamp
Authors: Allen Scott T. , Conner William H.
Published: July 2021

The interception of precipitation by plant canopies can alter the amount and spatial distribution of water inputs to ecosystems. We asked whether canopy interception could locally augment water inputs to shrubs by their crowns funneling (freshwater) precipitation as stemflow to their bases, in a wetland where relict overstory trees are dying and persisting shrubs only grow on small hummocks that sit above mesohaline floodwaters. Precipitation, throughfall, and stemflow were measured across 69 events over a 15-months period in a salinity-degraded freshwater swamp in coastal South Carolina, United States. Evaporation of intercepted water from the overstory and shrub canopies reduced net precipitation (stemflow plus throughfall) across the site to 91% of gross (open) precipitation amounts. However, interception by the shrub layer resulted in increased routing of precipitation down the shrub stems to hummocks – this stemflow yielded depths that were over 14 times larger than that of gross precipitation across an area equal to the shrub stem cross-sectional areas. Through dimensional analysis, we inferred that stemflow resulted in local augmentation of net precipitation, with effective precipitation inputs to hummocks equaling 100–135% of gross precipitation. Given that these shrubs (wax myrtle, Morella cerifera) are sensitive to mesohaline salinities, our novel findings prompt the hypothesis that stemflow funneling is an ecophysiologically important mechanism that increases freshwater availability and facilitates shrub persistence in this otherwise stressful environment.