Meta-Analysis of Atrial Fibrillation and Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF); However, the prognostic impact of AF on HFpEF patients has not been fully elucidated.

Methods: A literature search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases on literature published through April 2019 was undertaken. Combined hazard ratio (HR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed-effects or random-effects models, depending on the heterogeneity.

Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Pre-Procedural Serum Albumin on Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Pre-procedural serum albumin's impact on prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been studied. Literature on the prognostic role of serum albumin in the survival of patients undergoing TAVR shows conflicting results. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of pre-procedural serum albumin on outcomes after TAVR.

Demography and welfare status of free-roaming dogs in Yangmingshan National Park, Taiwan.

Free-roaming dogs (Canis familiaris) cause threats to native wildlife and public health and raise concerns for their welfare. Understanding the demography of free-roaming dog populations is essential for developing an effective management plan. An evaluation of their welfare status would be beneficial to earn public support for the management plan.

Effectiveness and Safety of Warfarin in Dialysis Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

In routine practice, warfarin is widely used in dialysis patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) for stroke prevention though the ratio of risks to benefits remains unclear. Recent cohort studies investigating the association between warfarin use and the risks of stroke and bleeding in dialysis patients with AF present conflicting results. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of warfarin use in patients with AF undergoing dialysis.

Efficacy and safety of low-dose clopidogrel after 12-month dual antiplatelet therapy for patients having drug-eluting stent implantation.

Background: To prevent stent thrombosis (ST) after implantation of drug-eluting stents (DESs) in patients with coronary heart disease, 12-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended. However, the optimal long-term antiplatelet regimen is not clear for the patients who have completed the 12-month DAPT.

Methods: We reviewed the data of 755 consecutive patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) three years ago and completed 12-month DAPT.

Transplantation of human umbilical cord-derived endothelial progenitor cells promotes re-endothelialization of the injured carotid artery after balloon injury in New Zealand white rabbits.

Background: Cell transplantation has great potential for promoting endothelial repair and reducing the complications of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of transplantation of human umbilical cord blood endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) on injured arteries.

Methods: Umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells were obtained from post-partum lying-in women, and EPCs were isolated, cultured, expanded and identified by immunofluorescence.

Protective effect of lipid microspheres 1 on myocardial injury following elective percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with angina pectoris: a pilot study.

Background: Prostaglandin E1 incorporated into lipid microspheres (lipo-PGE1) is effective in the treatment of peripheral vascular disorders and diabetic neuropathy. It is unknown whether it has protective effects in patients with angina pectoris undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Objectives: The goal of this pilot study was to investigate whether lipo-PGE1 has protective effects in patients with angina pectoris undergoing PCI.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein predicts outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) may play an important role in the development of acute coronary syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the levels of circulating PAPP-A and the mid-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: The circulating PAPP-A levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein before PCI were measured in 129 patients with single coronary artery stenosis.

Expanded human cord blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells salvage infarcted myocardium in rats with acute myocardial infarction.

1. Cell transplantation has promise as a therapeutic option for restoring impaired heart function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the optimal cell type to use remains controversial.

Human umbilical cord-derived endothelial progenitor cells promote growth cytokines-mediated neorevascularization in rat myocardial infarction.

Background: Cell-based vascular therapies of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) mediated neovascularization is still a novel but promising approach for the treatment of ischemic disease. The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potentials of human umbilical cord blood-derived EPCs (hUCB-EPCs) in rat with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: Human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) mononuclear cells were isolated using density gradient centrifugation from the fresh human umbilical cord in healthy delivery woman, and cultured in M199 medium for 7 days.

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci from Areca catechu (Arecaceae) using PCR-based isolation of microsatellite arrays.

Betel nut (Areca nut, Areca catechu L.) is a conspicuous and important cultivated plant of tropical and subtropical habitats throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania. As a significant cultural and social offering, the migration of betel nut associated with human dispersal is an important issue in ethnobotany and anthropology.

[Beneficial effects of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells transplantation on rats with experimental myocardial infarction].

Objective: Human umbilical cord blood contains abundant immature stem/progenitor cells, which may contribute to the repair of infarcted myocardium. Present study aimed to explore the feasibility and effects of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (HUCBC) transplantation for the treatment of myocardial infarction.

Methods: Forty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: (1) Myocardial infarction (MI plus vehicle, n = 15), (2) MI plus cell transplantation (HUCBC were implanted into the peri-infarct area immediately after MI, n = 15), (3) Normal control group (n = 15).

Transplanted human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells improve left ventricular function through angiogenesis in myocardial infarction.

Background: Human umbilical cord blood contains an abundance of immature stem/progenitor cells, which may participate in the repair of hearts that have been damaged by myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (hUCBC) transplantation on cardiac function and left ventricular remodeling in rat model of MI.

Methods: Forty-five male Wistar rats were randomized into three groups: MI or control group (n = 15), MI plus cell transplantation (n = 15), and sham group (n = 15).