Hospitalization is an opportunity to optimize heart failure (HF) therapy. As optimal treatment for hospitalized HF patients in sinus rhythm with heart rate≥70bpm is unclear, we investigated the ...impact of combined beta-blocker (BB) and ivabradine versus BBs alone on short and longer term mortality and rehospitalization.
A retrospective analysis was performed on 370 hospitalized HF patients with heart rate≥70bpm (150 BB+ivabradine, 220 BB alone) in the Optimize Heart Failure Care Program in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, from October 2015 to April 2016.
At 1month, 3months, 6months and 12months, there were fewer deaths, HF hospitalizations and overall hospitalizations in patients on BB+ivabradine vs BBs alone. At 12months, all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization was significantly lower with BB+ivabradine than BBs (adjusted hazard ratio HR 0.45 (95% confidence interval CI 0.32–0.64, P<0.0001). Significantly greater improvement was seen in quality of life (QOL) from admission to 12months with BB+ivabradine vs BBs alone (P=0.0001). With BB+ivabradine, significantly more patients achieved ≥50% target doses of BBs at 12months than on admission (82.0% vs 66.6%, P=0.0001), but the effect was non-significant with BBs alone.
Heart rate lowering therapy with BB+ivabradine started in hospitalized HF patients (heart rate≥70bpm) is associated with reduced overall mortality and re-hospitalization over the subsequent 12months. A prospective randomized trial is needed to confirm the advantages of this strategy.
•Hospitalized heart failure patients with heart rate≥70 bpm have a higher mortality risk.•In those patients beta blockers (BB) + ivabradine reduced 12-month mortality/rehospitalization vs BB alone.•A large clinical trial is needed to confirm the advantages of this strategy
History of aviation physiology Grebennikov, Egor K.; Grebennikova, Inna N.; Subotyalova, Anna M. ...
Vestnik Rossiĭskogo universiteta druzhby narodov. Serii͡a︡ Medit͡s︡ina,
12/2023, Volume:
27, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Relevance. In studying the history of medical and biological disciplines, an important part is the identification of the stages of their formation and development. In this regard, it seems important ...to make a historical and scientific analytical review of the development of ideas about aviation physiology, covering different stages of the history of science and reflecting the contribution of researchers from different regions. It will be useful for teaching historical and scientific and special disciplines, as well as for researchers involved in the study of aviation physiology. The need to understand how the human body functions in flight arose along with the development of aeronautics. The study is devoted to the analysis of the main stages in the development of aviation physiology. The purpose of the study - to characterize the stages of formation and development of aviation physiology. Research methods. In preparing this publication, articles in publications included in the RSCI, PubMed, and Scopus were mainly used. Preference was given to materials published in the last 15 years. The main results present the stages of development of aviation physiology with a description of the contribution of the main researchers in this field. The achievements of domestic scientists, doctors, physiologists I.M. Sechenov, L.A. Orbeli, G.M. Zarakovsky are analyzed, their scientific priorities in the development of this scientific direction are presented. The process of formation and development of aviation physiology as a direction of biomedical knowledge is presented. Before the advent of aviation (19th century), hypoxia was studied in the study of balloon flights. With the advent of high-speed and maneuverable aircraft, aviation physiology began to study the body’s response to overloads caused by highly maneuverable flights. Conclusion . The development of aviation physiology can be divided into two stages. 1. Pre-aviation, within which the emergence of this area of medico-biological knowledge takes place. 2. Aviation, at this stage scientists have the opportunity to study different multidirectional overloads and their effect on the human body. Currently, aviation physiology is one of the important branches of physiology, aviation and space medicine.
Stainless steels are contaminated with a wide range of radionuclides over time when exposed to the harsh acidic environments in nuclear reprocessing facilities. Existing research into the ...contamination of stainless steel with problematic radionuclides has predominantly focused on single-contaminant systems. Hence a more comprehensive understanding is a necessity for the development and optimisation of decontamination and decommissioning strategies, thus minimising waste volumes and associated costs. This work aims to understand contaminant uptake behaviour on AISI 304 stainless steel in a mixed element system (Cs, Sr) over extended time periods (up to 420 days) and the effects of temperature and surface finish on contaminant uptake over shorter time periods (up to 28 days). Steel coupons were immersed in 12 M HNO3 to accelerate corrosion with both caesium and strontium ions (1 mM) and maintained at 50 °C. The extent of uptake was assessed through solution analysis using ICP-OES, identifying that strontium uptake exceeded caesium's in all tested scenarios, with maximum uptake values of 0.208 g m−2 and 0.170 g m−2 obtained at 50 °C for strontium and caesium, respectively. Kinetic modelling confirmed that uptake followed pseudo-second order behaviour. Stainless steel coupons were characterised after exposure, which found grain dropping and bulk dissolution had occurred after 420 days, leading to reduced levels of surface uptake. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy found evidence of caesium and strontium chromates formed via co-precipitation with chromium corrosion products, confirming observations by previous studies. Furthermore, depth profiling with LA-ICP-MS found evidence of contaminants diffusing into the bulk substrate (by 30 - 40 nm), which has significant implications for the development and optimisation of decontamination approaches which can minimise excess waste generation.
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Salt-affected soils will become more frequent in the next decades as arid
and semiarid ecosystems are predicted to expand as a result of climate
change. Nevertheless, little is known about organic ...matter (OM) dynamics in
these soils, though OM is crucial for soil fertility and represents an
important carbon sink. We aimed at investigating OM dynamics along a
salinity and sodicity gradient in the soils of the southwestern Siberian
Kulunda steppe (Kastanozem, non-sodic Solonchak, Sodic Solonchak) by assessing
the organic carbon (OC) stocks, the quantity and quality of particulate and
mineral-associated OM in terms of non-cellulosic neutral sugar contents and
carbon isotopes (δ13C, 14C activity), and the microbial
community composition based on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) patterns.
Aboveground biomass was measured as a proxy for plant growth and soil OC
inputs. Our hypotheses were that (i) soil OC stocks decrease along the
salinity gradient, (ii) the proportion and stability of particulate OM is
larger in salt-affected Solonchaks compared to non-salt-affected
Kastanozems, (iii) sodicity reduces the proportion and stability of
mineral-associated OM, and (iv) the fungi : bacteria ratio is negatively
correlated with salinity. Against our first hypothesis, OC stocks increased
along the salinity gradient with the most pronounced differences between
topsoils. In contrast to our second hypothesis, the proportion of
particulate OM was unaffected by salinity, thereby accounting for only
< 10 % in all three soil types, while mineral-associated OM
contributed > 90 %. Isotopic data (δ13C,
14C activity) and neutral sugars in the OM fractions indicated a
comparable degree of OM transformation along the salinity gradient and that
particulate OM was not more persistent under saline conditions. Our
third hypothesis was also rejected, as Sodic Solonchaks contained more than twice
as much mineral-bound OC than the Kastanozems, which we ascribe to the
flocculation of OM and mineral components under higher ionic strength
conditions. Contrary to the fourth hypothesis, the fungi : bacteria ratio in
the topsoils remained fairly constant along the salinity gradient. A
possible explanation for why our hypotheses were not affirmed is that soil
moisture covaried with salinity along the transect, i.e., the Solonchaks were
generally wetter than the Kastanozems. This might cause comparable water
stress conditions for plants and microorganisms, either due to a low osmotic
or a low matric potential and resulting in (i) similar plant growth and hence
soil OC inputs along the transect, (ii) a comparable persistence of
particulate OM, and (iii) unaffected fungi : bacteria ratios. We conclude
that salt-affected soils contribute significantly to the OC storage in the
semiarid soils of the Kulunda steppe, while most of the OC is associated with
minerals and is therefore effectively sequestered in the long term.
AISI Type 304 stainless steel coupons have been exposed to a simulant aqueous environment representative of the Magnox Reprocessing Plant (MRP) at Sellafield, UK. The experiments were performed for ...extended time periods (up to 420 days) at elevated temperatures to develop a comprehensive understanding of the extent, nature, and depth of contamination for pipework and vessels in Magnox spent nuclear fuel reprocessing environments. This will inform upcoming decommissioning work which represents a major post-operational challenge. Previous relevant literature has focused on developing fundamental understanding of contamination mechanisms of stainless steels in simplistic, single-element systems, which lack elements of industrial relevance. Contamination behavior is expected to be drastically different in these more complex environments. A characterization portfolio has been developed to enable detailed assessment of corrosion and contamination behavior in acidic reprocessing environments. Solution, surface, and depth analysis determined that uptake was dominated by the elements present in highest concentrations within the environment, namely, Mg, Nd, and Cs. Most contaminants were incorporated into a relatively thin surface oxide layer (<100 nm) in metal oxide form, although there were some exceptions (Cs and Sr). Grain boundary etching was present despite very low corrosion rates (3 μm year
). As a result of this lack of corrosion, diffusion of contaminants beyond the immediate surface (10-20 nm) did not occur, evidenced through depth profiling. As a result of these findings, surface-based decontamination techniques minimizing excess secondary waste generation can be further developed in order to reduce the environmental and economic burden associated with decommissioning activities.
•First study on land use–climate interactions in Siberian steppe soils.•Global warming will decrease soil organic carbon stocks in the Siberian steppe.•Losses of soil organic matter due to land-use ...change are independent from climate.•Mineral-organic associations are susceptible to land-use change.•Climate affects soil microbial communities more than land-use change.
The Kulunda steppe is part of the greatest conversion areas of the world where 420,000km2 grassland have been converted into cropland between 1954 and 1963. However, little is known about the recent and future impacts of land-use change (LUC) on soil organic carbon (OC) dynamics in Siberian steppe soils under various climatic conditions. By investigating grassland vs. cropland soils along a climatic gradient from forest to typical to dry steppe types of the Kulunda steppe, our study aimed to (i) quantify the change of OC stocks (0–60cm) after LUC from grassland to cropland as function of climate, (ii) elucidate the concurrent effects on aggregate stability and different functional soil organic matter (OM) fractions (particulate vs. mineral-bound OM), and (iii) assess climate- and LUC-induced changes in the microbial community composition and the contribution of fungi to aggregate stability based on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles. Soil OC stocks decreased from the forest steppe (grassland: 218±17Mgha−1) over the typical steppe (153±10Mgha−1) to the dry steppe (134±11Mgha−1). Across all climatic regimes, LUC caused similar OC losses of 31% (95% confidence interval: 17–43%) in 0–25cm depth and a concurrent decline in aggregate stability, which was not related to the amount of fungal PLFA. Density fractionation revealed that the largest part of soil OM (>90% of total OC) was associated with minerals and <10% of C existed in particulate OM. While LUC induced smaller relative losses of mineral-associated OC than particulate OC, the absolute decline in total OC stocks was largely due to losses of OM bound to minerals. This result together with the high 14C ages of mineral-bound OM in croplands (500–2900 yrs B.P.) suggests that mineral-bound OM comprises, in addition to stable OC, also management-susceptible labile OC. The steppe type had a larger impact on microbial communities than LUC, with a larger relative abundance of gram-positive bacteria and less fungi under dry conditions. Our results imply that future drier climate conditions in the Siberian steppes will (i) result in smaller OC stocks on a biome scale but (ii) not alter the effect of LUC on soil OC, and (iii) change the microbial community composition more than the conversion from grassland to cropland.
Macro-aggregates especially in agricultural steppe soils are supposed to play a vital role for soil organic carbon (OC) stabilization at a decadal timescale. While most research on soil OC ...stabilization in steppes focused on North American prairie soils of the Great Plains with information mainly provided by short-term incubation experiments, little is known about the agricultural steppes in southwestern Siberia, though they belong to the greatest conversion areas in the world and occupy an area larger than that in the Great Plains. To quantify the proportion of macro-aggregate-protected OC under different land use as function of land use intensity and time since land use change (LUC) from pasture to arable land in Siberian steppe soils, we determined OC mineralization rates of intact (250–2000 µm) and crushed (< 250 µm) macro-aggregates in long-term incubations over 401 days (20 °C; 60 % water holding capacity) along two agricultural chronosequences in the Siberian Kulunda steppe. Additionally, we incubated bulk soil (< 2000 µm) to determine the effect of LUC and subsequent agricultural use on a fast and a slow soil OC pool (labile vs. more stable OC), as derived from fitting exponential-decay models to incubation data. We hypothesized that (i) macro-aggregate crushing leads to increased OC mineralization due to an increasing microbial accessibility of a previously occluded labile macro-aggregate OC fraction, and (ii) bulk soil OC mineralization rates and the size of the fast OC pool are higher in pasture than in arable soils with decreasing bulk soil OC mineralization rates and size of the fast OC pool as land use intensity and time since LUC increase. Against our hypothesis, OC mineralization rates of crushed macro-aggregates were similar to those of intact macro-aggregates under all land use regimes. Macro-aggregate-protected OC was almost absent and accounted for < 1 % of the total macro-aggregate OC content and to a maximum of 8 ± 4 % of mineralized OC. In accordance to our second hypothesis, highest bulk soil OC mineralization rates and sizes of the fast OC pool were determined under pasture, but mineralization rates and pool sizes were unaffected by land use intensity and time since LUC. However, at one chronosequence mean residence times of the fast and slow OC pool tended to decrease with increasing time since establishment of arable use. We conclude that the tillage-induced breakdown of macro-aggregates has not reduced the OC contents in the soils under study. The decline of OC after LUC is probably attributed to the faster soil OC turnover under arable land as compared to pasture at a reduced plant residue input.
The studies were carried out to improve the efficiency of the selection process in the creation of new varieties of spring triticale with the required combination of economically important features. ...The paper describes the structure and application of the developed software and algorithmic complex for information support of selection of grain crops. The main used methods of evaluation of breeding material are considered: evaluation of combinational ability of parent forms by methods of diallel analysis, method of evaluation of ecological plasticity of varieties and lines in terms of intensity and stability, integral evaluation of breeding value by methods of scalar ranking and statistical analysis. The purpose and functionality of the software products included in the complex for different stages of the breeding process are described. The results of testing programs using samples of spring wheat and triticale allowed evaluating the collection of samples and selection of parent forms of spring triticale for hybridization.
Qualitative assessment of the current and perspective nature protection efficiency of specially protected natural areas as forms of the animals, plants biodiversity conservation directly in habitats ...and unique landscapes for optimization of territorial conservation is necessary. Environmental efficiency can be an assessment parameter of the completeness of the certain specially protected natural areas implementation, caused by its belonging to a category, the status, natural and ecological features of the territory. The technique developed by WWF of Russia in 2012 and published by M.S. Stishov is effective for such research. An advantage of this technique consists in an opportunity to estimate results in the sphere of conservation for some specially protected natural areas and their regional systems as in the current conditions, and in the long term, including at change ecological situations. Wildlife preserves areas of the Volgograd region which make 15 % of total number of natural protected areas of the region acted as the main object of research and occupy 26 % of the total area of protected areas, belong mainly to a faunal area. The contribution of wildlife preserves to the saving of regional biological and landscape diversity is very significant, especially in the absence of natural sanctuaries as a priority form of territorial conservation in the specially protected natural areas system of the Volgograd region. As a result of research, we estimated values of nature protection relevance, significance and effectiveness of wildlife preserves in the Volgograd region. Factors influencing realization of nature protection function by specially protected natural areas are allocated. The result received can be considered as a basis for plan of increase in the effectiveness of each wildlife preserve of the Volgograd region.