bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
(Pro)renin Receptor Inhibition Reduces Plasma Cholesterol and Triglycerides but Does Not Attenuate Atherosclerosis in Atherosclerotic Mice
Authors: Ye Dien , Yang Xiaofei , Ren Liwei , Lu Hong S. , Sun Yuan , Lin Hui , Tan Lunbo , Wang Na , Nguyen Genevieve , Bader Michael , Mullick Adam E. , Danser A. H. Jan , Daugherty Alan , Jiang Yizhou , Sun Yidan , Li Furong , Lu Xifeng 
Published: December 2021

Objective: Elevated plasma cholesterol concentrations contributes to ischemic cardiovascular diseases. Recently, we showed that inhibiting hepatic (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR] attenuated diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) deficient mice. The purpose of this study was to determine whether inhibiting hepatic (P)RR could attenuate atherosclerosis.Approach and Results: Eight-week-old male LDLR−/− mice were injected with either saline or N-acetylgalactosamine-modified antisense oligonucleotides (G-ASOs) primarily targeting hepatic (P)RR and were fed a western-type diet (WTD) for 16 weeks. (P)RR G-ASOs markedly reduced plasma cholesterol concentrations from 2,211 ± 146 to 1,128 ± 121 mg/dL. Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) analyses revealed that cholesterol in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL)/LDL fraction were potently reduced by (P)RR G-ASOs. Moreover, (P)RR G-ASOs reduced plasma triglyceride concentrations by more than 80%. Strikingly, despite marked reduction in plasma lipid concentrations, atherosclerosis was not reduced but rather increased in these mice. Further testing in ApoE−/− mice confirmed that (P)RR G-ASOs reduced plasma lipid concentrations but not atherosclerosis. Transcriptomic analysis of the aortas revealed that (P)RR G-ASOs induced the expression of the genes involved in immune responses and inflammation. Further investigation revealed that (P)RR G-ASOs also inhibited (P)RR in macrophages and in enhanced inflammatory responses to exogenous stimuli. Moreover, deleting the (P)RR in macrophages resulted in accelerated atherosclerosis in WTD fed ApoE−/− mice.Conclusion: (P)RR G-ASOs reduced the plasma lipids in atherosclerotic mice due to hepatic (P)RR deficiency. However, augmented pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages due to (P)RR downregulation counteracted the beneficial effects of lowered plasma lipid concentrations on atherosclerosis. Our study demonstrated that hepatic (P)RR and macrophage (P)RR played a counteracting role in atherosclerosis.
COVID-19 vs. Classical Myocarditis Associated Myocardial Injury Evaluated by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Endomyocardial Biopsy
Authors: Tanacli Radu , Doeblin Patrick , Götze Collin , Zieschang Victoria , Faragli Alessandro , Stehning Christian , Korosoglou Grigorios , Erley Jennifer , Weiss Jakob , Berger Alexander , Pröpper Felix , Steinbeis Fridolin , Kühne Titus , Seidel Franziska , Geisel Dominik , Cannon Walter-Rittel Thula , Stawowy Philipp , Witzenrath Martin , Klingel Karin , Van Linthout Sophie , Pieske Burkert , Tschöpe Carsten , Kelle Sebastian 
Published: December 2021

Background: Despite the ongoing global pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac structure and function is still not completely understood. Myocarditis is a rare but potentially serious complication of other viral infections with variable recovery, and is, in some cases, associated with long-term cardiac remodeling and functional impairment.Aim: To assess myocardial injury in patients who recently recovered from an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection with advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and endomyocardial biopsy (EMB).Methods: In total, 32 patients with persistent cardiac symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, 22 patients with acute classic myocarditis not related to COVID-19, and 16 healthy volunteers were included in this study and underwent a comprehensive baseline CMR scan. Of these, 10 patients post COVID-19 and 13 with non-COVID-19 myocarditis underwent a follow-up scan. In 10 of the post-COVID-19 and 15 of the non-COVID-19 patients with myocarditis endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) with histological, immunohistological, and molecular analysis was performed.Results: In total, 10 (31%) patients with COVID-19 showed evidence of myocardial injury, eight (25%) presented with myocardial oedema, eight (25%) exhibited global or regional systolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and nine (28%) exhibited impaired right ventricular (RV) function. However, only three (9%) of COVID-19 patients fulfilled updated CMR–Lake Louise criteria (LLC) for acute myocarditis. Regarding EMB, none of the COVID-19 patients but 87% of the non-COVID-19 patients with myocarditis presented histological findings in keeping with acute or chronic inflammation. COVID-19 patients with severe disease on the WHO scale presented with reduced biventricular longitudinal function, increased RV mass, and longer native T1 times compared with those with only mild or moderate disease.Conclusions: In our cohort, CMR and EMB findings revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with relatively mild but variable cardiac involvement. More symptomatic COVID-19 patients and those with higher clinical care demands were more likely to exhibit chronic inflammation and impaired cardiac function compared to patients with milder forms of the disease.
A Modified Surgical Ventricular Reconstruction in Post-infarction Mice Persistently Alleviates Heart Failure and Improves Cardiac Regeneration
Authors: Ma Siyuan , Yan Junyu , Yang Dexuan , Liao Wangjun , Bin Jianping , Lin Hairuo , Liao Yulin 
Published: December 2021

Objectives: Large ventricular aneurysm secondary to myocardial infarction (MI) results in severe heart failure (HF) and limits the effectiveness of regeneration therapy, which can be improved by surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR). However, the conventional SVR procedures do not yield optimal long-term outcome in post-MI rodents. We hypothesized that a modified SVR procedure without aggressive purse string suture would persistently alleviate HF and improve cardiac regeneration in post-MI mice.Methods: Adult male C57 mice were subjected to MI or sham surgery. Four weeks later, mice with MI underwent SVR or 2nd open-chest operation alone. SVR was performed by plicating the aneurysm with a single diagonal linear suture from the upper left ventricle (LV) to the right side of the apex. Cardiac remodeling, heart function and myocardial regeneration were evaluated.Results: Three weeks after SVR, the scar area, LV volume, and heart weight/body weight ratio were significantly smaller, while LV ejection fraction, the maximum rising and descending rates of LV pressure, LV contractility and global myocardial strain were significantly higher in SVR group than in SVR-control group. The inhibitory effects of SVR on LV remodeling and HF persisted for at least eight-week. SVR group exhibited improved cardiac regeneration, as reflected by more Ki67-, Aurora B- and PH3-positive cardiomyocytes and a higher vessel density around the plication area of the infarcted LV.Conclusions: SVR with a single linear suture results in a significant and sustained reduction in LV volume and improvement in both LV systolic and diastolic function as well as cardiac regeneration.
Relationship Between Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Variation and Systemic Vascular Resistance: A Prospective Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Study
Authors: Mandry Damien , Girerd Nicolas , Lamiral Zohra , Huttin Olivier , Filippetti Laura , Micard Emilien , Beaumont Marine , Ncho Mottoh Marie-Paule Bernadette , Pace Nathalie , Zannad Faïez , Rossignol Patrick , Marie Pierre-Yves 
Published: December 2021

Introduction: This cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) study aims to determine whether changes in systemic vascular resistance (SVR), obtained from CMR flow sequences, might explain the significant long-term changes in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) observed in subjects with no cardiac disease history.Methods: Cohort subjects without any known cardiac disease but with high rates of hypertension and obesity, underwent CMR with phase-contrast sequences both at baseline and at a median follow-up of 5.2 years. Longitudinal changes in EF were analyzed for any concomitant changes in blood pressure and vascular function, notably the indexed SVR given by the formula: mean brachial blood pressure / cardiac output x body surface area.Results: A total of 118 subjects (53 ± 12 years, 52% women) were included, 26% had hypertension, and 52% were obese. Eighteen (15%) had significant EF variations between baseline and follow-up (7 increased EF and 11 decreased EF). Longitudinal changes in EF were inversely related to concomitant changes in mean and diastolic blood pressures (p = 0.030 and p = 0.027, respectively) and much more significantly to SVR (p &lt; 0.001). On average, these SVR changes were −8.08 ± 9.21 and +8.14 ± 8.28 mmHg.min.m2.L−1, respectively, in subjects with significant increases and decreases in EF, and 3.32 ± 7.53 mmHg.min.m2.L−1 in subjects with a stable EF (overall p &lt; 0.001).Conclusions: Significant EF variations are not uncommon during the long-term CMR follow-up of populations with no evident health issues except for uncomplicated hypertension and obesity. However, most of these variations are linked to SVR changes and may therefore be unrelated to any intrinsic change in LV contractility. This underscores the benefits of specifically assessing LV afterload when EF is monitored in populations at risk of vascular dysfunction.Clinical Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT01716819 and NCT02430805.
Assessment of Top-Down Design of Tsunami Evacuation Strategies Based on Drill and Modelled Data
Authors: León Jorge , Catalán Patricio A. , Gubler Alejandra 
Published: December 2021

Tsunami evacuation drills are helpful tools aimed at reinforcing procedures and practices to reduce disaster risk, especially for vulnerable populations like school-age children. While the predictive value of evacuation drill data has been pointed out, challenges exist in enhancing the scientific examination of this information, with the final aim of improving proactive preparedness and scenario-based evacuation strategies. We address this gap by delivering a mixed-method approach that combines ground-collected data and tsunami and evacuation computer-based modelling, using as a case study the evacuation drill performance of four K-12 schools in the cities of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, Chile. Our main objective was to critically assess the efficacy of the drill-based evacuation procedures of the schools by comparing them in the light of a likely worst-case tsunami scenario (based on historical data from the 1730 event) in these areas. Our findings show that, although a large number of evacuees from the schools could rapidly achieve evacuation to safe locations, complete evacuation (that is, 100% of evacuees reaching the shelter) is only achievable if the Evacuation Onset Times (i.e. the time, relative to the earthquake, of the first evacuee departing from the school) are shorter than demanding threshold values (between 4 and 14 min), as the result of the tsunami’s short arrival time and rapid inland penetration. Hence, we suggest complementing existing national-level protocols with a more detailed, case-by-case management approach, comprising a more precise tsunami inundation modelling and a focus on the characteristics of each of the schools (relative to the student body composition such as age and others, the staff, and the geomorphological conditions of its location). Moreover, we suggest that tsunami evacuation drills in Chile pose significant research opportunities yet to be fully grasped.
Analysis of Biochemical and Clinical Pregnancy Loss Between Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer of Blastocysts and Day 3 Cleavage Embryos in Young Women: A Comprehensive Comparison
Authors: Dai Xiuliang , Gao Tingting , Xia Xiyang , Cao Fang , Yu Chunmei , Li Tianfu , Li Lingjun , Wang Yufeng , Chen Li 
Published: December 2021

BackgroundTo determine whether the embryo developmental stage affects biochemical or clinical pregnancy loss in young women undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) and to investigate the underlying mechanism.MethodsThis was a retrospective study including a total of 18,34 β-HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)-positive FET cycles. According to the morphological appearance (MA) of transferred blastocysts, FET cycles with blastocysts were divided into two groups: Group A: morphologically good (MG) blastocysts only, and Group B: at least one morphologically non-good (MNG) blastocyst. FET cycles with day 3 cleavage embryos were assigned as Group C. Biochemical and clinical pregnancy loss were the main outcome measures.Result(s)We predicted 78% in vivo-formed MG and 53.9% in vivo-formed day 5 blastocysts in Group C. (a) Including cases in Group A and Group B for binary logistic regression, we showed that Group B and day 6 blastocysts had significantly higher rates of BPL and CPL than Group A and day 5 blastocysts, respectively. (b) Including cases in Group A, Group B, and Group C for binary logistic regression, we showed that Group C had a significantly higher rate of BPL than Group A and day 5 blastocysts and a similar rate of BPL as Group B and day 6 blastocysts. Group C had a higher rate of CPL than Group A (p=0.071) and day 5 blastocysts (p=0.039), and a lower rate of CPL than Group B (p=0.199) and day 6 blastocysts (p=0.234).Conclusion(s)(1) MA and days of usable blastocysts could serve as independent factors affecting the occurrence of BPL and CPL. (2) Transfer of day 3 cleavage embryos may produce “unusable blastocysts” in vivo, which significantly increased the rate of BPL. (3) The rate of CPL resulting from the transfer of day 3 embryos may depend on the rate of in vivo-formed MG or day 5 blastocysts. Our study indicated that the difference in the BPL or CPL between transfer of blastocysts and day 3 cleavage embryos may largely depend on the quality of embryos transferred.
Extensive Assessment of Underlying Etiological Factors in Primary Infertile Men Reduces the Proportion of Men With Idiopathic Infertility
Authors: Ventimiglia Eugenio , Pozzi Edoardo , Capogrosso Paolo , Boeri Luca , Alfano Massimo , Cazzaniga Walter , Matloob Rayan , Abbate Costantino , Viganò Paola , Montorsi Francesco , Salonia Andrea 
Published: December 2021

ObjectiveUp to 40% of infertile men remain without a recognized cause (i.e., idiopathic infertility). We aimed to identify, categorize, and report the supposed causes of male infertility in a cohort of white-European men presenting for primary couple’s infertility, by using a thorough and extensive baseline diagnostic work-up.Material and MethodsCross-sectional study of 1,174 primary infertile men who underwent a thorough diagnostic work-up including: detailed medical history, physical examination, hormonal assessment, genetic testing, semen analyses; semen and urine cultures; testis color Duplex US. Men without any identified causal factor were considered as idiopathic. Six different etiological categories were established, and their prevalence was estimated. Logistic regression models estimated the risk of missing causal identification.ResultsA possible causal factor was identified in 928 (81%) men. Hypogonadism was the most frequent identified cause (37%), followed by varicocele (27%). Genetic abnormalities were found in 5% of patients. A causal factor was more easily identifiable for the more severe infertility cases, and azoospermic men were those less likely to be defined as idiopathic (OR and 95% CIs: 0.09; 0.04-0.20). Relative proportion of identified causes remained constant during the 10-year study period (p&gt;0.43).ConclusionsDue to a more comprehensive and extensive diagnostic work-up, at least one underlying cause of male infertility factor in 4 out of 5 infertile men can be identified. Men with a less severe phenotype remain a clinical challenge in terms of establishing a possible etiologic factor. Further studies are needed to assess which subset of infertile men deserves a more extensive work-up.
Comparison of Muscle Density in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults Between a High-Altitude Area (Kunming) and a Low-Altitude Area (Beijing)
Authors: Liu Xingli , Wang Ling , Gao Meng , Wang Gang , Tang Kai , Yang Jin , Song Wei , Yang Jingsong , Lyu Liang , Cheng Xiaoguang 
Published: December 2021

Background and PurposeA high-altitude environment was known to have a negative effect on bone and lead to a higher incidence of hip fracture. However, the dependence of muscle composition on altitude is unclear. Thus, we aimed to compare muscle density and area in plateau and low altitude area and to determine the effect of the altitude on these outcomes.MethodsCommunity dwelling adults over 60 years old living in Beijing (elevation 50 m; 300 subjects,107 men and 193 women) or Kunming (elevation 2000 m; 218 subjects,83 men and 135 women) for more than 10 years were enrolled. Quantitative CT was performed in all subjects and cross-sectional area and attenuation measured in Hounsfield units (HU) were determined for the trunk, gluteus, and mid-thigh muscles.ResultsCompared to Beijing, Kunming adults were slimmer (Beijing men vs Kunming men: 25.08 ± 2.62 vs 23.94 ± 3.10kg/m2, P=0.013; Beijing women vs Kunming women: 25.31 ± 3.1 vs 23.98 ± 3.54 kg/m2, P= 0.001) and had higher muscle density in the L2-trunk and gluteus maximus muscles after adjustment for age and BMI (L2-trunk muscles: Beijing men 29.99 ± 4.17 HU vs Kunming men 37.35 ± 4.25 HU, P&lt; 0.0001; Beijing women 27.37 ± 3.76 HU vs Kunming women 31.51 ± 5.12 HU, P&lt; 0.0001; Gluteus maximus muscle: Beijing men 35.11 ± 6.54 HU vs Kunming men 39.36 ± 4.39 HU, P= 0.0009; Beijing women 31.47 ± 6.26 HU vs Kunming women 34.20 ± 5.87 HU P=0.0375). Age was similar in both cohorts and no differences were observed in the gluteus medius and minimus muscle or the mid-thigh muscle, either in the area or density.ConclusionsCompared with Beijing, the adults in Kunming had higher muscle density of the gluteus maximus and L2 trunk muscles, showing that living at a higher altitude might be beneficial to muscle quality.
Fault Location with High Precision of Flexible DC Distribution System Using Wavelet Transform and Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Wang Dafei , Wang Baohua , Zhang Wenhui , Zhang Chi , Yu Jiacheng 
Published: December 2021

Though flexible DC distribution system (FDCDS) is becoming a new hotspot in power systems lately because of the rapid development of power electronic devices and massive use of renewable energy, the failure to realize accurate fault location with high precision restricts its further application. Thus, a novel precise pole-to-ground fault location method of FDCDS based on wavelet transform (WT) and convolution neural network (CNN) is proposed in this paper for the limitation on the number of measuring points and high difficulty in extracting characteristics of FDCDS. The fault voltage signal is decomposed with multi-resolution by discrete wavelet transform (DWT), and then the transient energy function is constructed to select the frequency bands containing rich fault characteristics for signal reconstruction. The reconstructed signal forms two-dimensional time-frequency images through continuous wavelet transform (CWT), which are used as the input of CNN classifier after image enhancement to form the mapping relation between the fault feature and fault position using the powerful generalization ability of CNN, so as to complete fault location with high precision. The sample data on PSCAD/EMTDC verifies the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method, which can achieve fault location with positioning precision of 30 m. The proposed method overcomes the influence of the control strategy of the converter and the number of input capacitors of the bridge arm in the time-domain analysis, and still has strong robustness in the case that FDCDS is connected with many distributed generations (DGs) with output fluctuation. Furthermore, four other methods for fault location as comparisons are given to reflect the validity and anti-interference ability of proposed methods in various noises.
Air-Flow Impacting: A New Mechanochemical Method for Continuous, Highly Efficient, Large-Scale Synthesis of Metal–Organic Frameworks and Mechanistic Research
Authors: Zhao Jun 
Published: December 2021

The novel air-flow impacting (AFI) synthesis technology for mechanochemical synthesis of MOFs (ZIF-67) was first reported. AFI was an improvement of the traditional mechanochemical synthesis method. The results indicated that ZIF-67 was successfully synthesized after 30 min at a rate of 60 kg h−1. The as-prepared ZIF-67 was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder x-ray diffraction (P-XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TG), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and single-crystal x-ray diffraction. The kinetic analysis of the reaction mechanism was carried out by detecting the P-XRD patterns of the products with different reaction times. The synthesis belonged to the one-dimensional diffusion-controlled model.
Association Between Bedtime at Night and Systolic Blood Pressure in Adults in NHANES
Authors: Su Yingjie , Li Changluo , Long Yong , He Liudang , Ding Ning 
Published: December 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the association between bedtime at night and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in adults.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study composed of 7,642 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Bedtime was defined as the response to the question: “What time do you usually fall asleep on weekdays or workdays?” SBP was taken using the average of all measured values. Multiple linear regression analyses were done to explore the relationship between bedtime and SBP.Results: The bedtime was changed from categorical variable to continuous variable for data analysis, and a significantly negative association was identified between bedtime and SBP (β, −0.23 [95% CI, −0.43, −0.02]). With the delay of bedtime, the SBP showed a gradual decrease trend, and it was dropped to the lowest at 0:00. After 0:00, the SBP was gradually increased with the delay of sleep time. The stratified analyses showed that in the female group, with the delay of bedtime, the range of SBP was decreased more obviously at 0:00. In the 18–45 year group, bedtime had little effect on SBP. Among ≥45 years old group, this trend was still the same. In the black group, an obvious downward trend was found at 22:00.Conclusion: With the delay of bedtime, the SBP had shown a gradual decrease trend, and it was dropped to the lowest at 0:00. After 0:00, the SBP was gradually increased with the delay of sleep time. Bedtime and SBP showed a U-shaped relationship.