Body Mass Index: An Effective Predictor of Ejection Fraction Improvement in Heart Failure.

Heart failure patients with higher body mass index (BMI) exhibit better clinical outcomes. Therefore, we assessed whether the BMI can predict left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) improvement following heart failure. We included 184 patients newly diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and reduced EF in our center and who underwent follow-up examination of EF via echocardiography after 6 months.

Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Exercise Tolerance and Cardiac Function in Heart Failure Patients Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of cardiac rehabilitation on exercise tolerance and cardiac function in heart failure patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Methods: Randomized controlled trials were initially identified from systematic reviews of the literature about cardiac rehabilitation and heart failure patients with CRT. We undertook updated literature searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, EMBASE, CBM, CNKI, and Wanfang databases until July 1, 2017.

Changes in Corneal Biomechanical Properties With Different Corneal Cross-linking Irradiances.

Purpose: To evaluate whether different corneal cross-linking (CXL) irradiances, all with the same delivered total energy, achieve similar increases in corneal material stiffness.

Methods: One hundred twenty-six healthy white Japanese rabbits were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 18 each). After removing the epithelium of the left corneas, six groups were exposed to riboflavin (0.

Repeatability of corneal elevation maps in keratoconus patients using the tomography matching method.

To assess repeatability of corneal tomography in successive measurements by Pentacam in keratoconus (KC) and normal eyes based on the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm. The study involved 143 keratoconic and 143 matched normal eyes. ICP algorithm was used to estimate six single and combined misalignment (CM) parameters, the root mean square (RMS) of the difference in elevation data pre (PreICP-RMS) and post (PosICP-RMS) tomography matching.

Meta-analysis of the association between SCARB1 polymorphism and fasting blood lipid levels.

Studies have shown that the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SCARB1) rs5888 polymorphism impacts fasting blood lipid levels differently in men and women. A meta-analysis and statistical tests was therefore performed to determine the relationship between the rs5888 polymorphism and lipid levels in men and women. Twelve studies with 12,147 subjects were selected for this study.

Effects of Shenmai injection and its bioactive components following ischemia/reperfusion in cardiomyocytes.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the myocardial protective function of Shenmai injection (SM) during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is attributable to its regulation of intracellular calcium (Ca) and phospholamban (PLB) levels. Cultured neonatal Sprague Dawley rat cardiomyocytes were used to compare the effects of normoxia, total saponins of (TSPG), ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) and SM treatments in rat myocardial cells following I/R. For each of these treatment groups, the mRNA and protein levels of PLB and the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase (SERCA) were evaluated, in addition to the cytoplasmic Ca concentration [Ca] and the rate of apoptosis.

Long-term stroke rates after catheter ablation or antiarrhythmic drug therapy for atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke and is associated with increased risk of death. Randomized studies suggest improved quality of life for patients with AF after successful catheter ablation compared to antiarrhythmic drug therapy. The value of ablation in long-term risk of ischemic stroke, however, has not been assessed.

[Effect of substrate temperature on structure and photoluminescence of ZnMgO films].

ZnMgO films were deposited on quartz glass substrates by the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis at different substrate temperatures (450-550 degrees C). The structural, surface morphological and optical properties of the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the substrate temperature has important effect on structural and optical characteristics.

[FTIR spectroscopic studies of inner stress on boron carbon nitride thin films].

Boron carbon nitride thin films were deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique using a 50 mm-diameter composite target consisting of h-BN and graphite in an Ar-N2 gas mixture. The composite target was composed of two semi disks: one of h-BN and the other one of graphite. The distance between the target and the substrate was kept at 50 mm.