RNA splicing controls organ-wide maturation of postnatal heart in mice.

Postnatal cardiac development requires the orchestrated maturation of diverse cellular components for which unifying control mechanisms are still lacking. Using full-length sequencing, we examined the transcriptomic landscape of the maturating mouse heart (E18.5-P28) at single-cell and transcript isoform resolution.

Methylprednisolone for acute type A aortic dissection patients undergoing total arch replacement: Design and rationale of the Medal trial.

Background: The mortality and morbidity of emergency total aortic arch replacement (TAAR) for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is high, which is partly due to the excessively activated systemic inflammatory response. Methylprednisolone, an anti-inflammatory agent, might suppress the systemic inflammatory response and lead to improved outcomes. However, the protective effects of methylprednisolone on TAAR for ATAAD were not clarified.

Pulmonary artery dilatation in different causes of pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary artery (PA) dilatation is commonly observed in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, the clinical aspects of PA dilatation in various etiology of PH remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the clinical and imaging characteristics of 1018 patients with different subtypes of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

β-hydroxybutyrate administered at reperfusion reduces infarct size and preserves cardiac function by improving mitochondrial function through autophagy in male mice.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury after revascularization contributes ∼50% of infarct size and causes heart failure, for which no established clinical treatment exists. β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB), which serves as both an energy source and a signaling molecule, has recently been reported to be cardioprotective when administered immediately before I/R and continuously after reperfusion. This study aims to determine whether administering β-OHB at the time of reperfusion with a single dose can alleviate I/R injury and, if so, to define the mechanisms involved.

Automatic echocardiographic evaluation of the probability of pulmonary hypertension using machine learning.

Echocardiography, a simple and noninvasive tool, is the first choice for screening pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, accurate assessment of PH, incorporating both the pulmonary artery pressures and additional signs for PH remained unsatisfied. Thus, this study aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model that can automatically evaluate the probability of PH.

Age-Related Trends in the Predictive Value of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness for Cardiovascular Death: A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background The age-related trends in the predictive ability of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) for cardiovascular risk remain unclear. We aimed to identify the age-related trends in the predictive value of CIMT for cardiovascular death. Methods and Results In a prospective cohort of adults aged 35 to 75 years without history of cardiovascular disease who were enrolled between 2014 and 2020, we measured CIMT at baseline and collected the vital status and cause of death.

Intradermally delivered mRNA-encapsulating extracellular vesicles for collagen-replacement therapy.

The success of messenger RNA therapeutics largely depends on the availability of delivery systems that enable the safe, effective and stable translation of genetic material into functional proteins. Here we show that extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced via cellular nanoporation from human dermal fibroblasts, and encapsulating mRNA encoding for extracellular-matrix α1 type-I collagen (COL1A1) induced the formation of collagen-protein grafts and reduced wrinkle formation in the collagen-depleted dermal tissue of mice with photoaged skin. We also show that the intradermal delivery of the mRNA-loaded EVs via a microneedle array led to the prolonged and more uniform synthesis and replacement of collagen in the dermis of the animals.

Hospital Variation of Spironolactone Use in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in China-The China PEACE Retrospective Heart Failure Study.

Background Although aldosterone antagonists improve outcomes in select individuals with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, studies in the United States have raised concerns about underuse and overuse. Variations in the prescription of aldosterone antagonist in China are unknown. Methods and Results In the multicenter, hospital-based, retrospective China PEACE (China Patient-Centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events) study, we identified a nationally representative cohort of admissions for heart failure in a nationally representative sample of Chinese hospitals in 2015.

SMARCC1 Enters the Nucleus via KPNA2 and Plays an Oncogenic Role in Bladder Cancer.

SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily C member 1 (SMARCC1), a component of the SWI/SNF complex, is thought to be an oncogene in several kinds of cancer. The potential interaction between SMARCC1 and KPNA2 was inquired by Spearman's correlation analysis, immunofluorescence staining and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays. The immunohistochemistry staining, RT-PCR and western blot assay were taken for determining the expression levels of SMARCC1.

Gender-specific clinical risk scores incorporating blood pressure variability for predicting incident dementia.

Introduction: The present study examined the gender-specific prognostic value of blood pressure (BP) and its variability in the prediction of dementia risk and developed a score system for risk stratification.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective, observational population-based cohort study of patients admitted to government-funded family medicine clinics in Hong Kong between January 1, 2000 and March 31, 2002 with at least 3 blood pressure measurements. Gender-specific risk scores for dementia were developed and tested.

The impact of post-operative atrial fibrillation on outcomes in coronary artery bypass graft and combined procedures.

Background: Post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common yet understudied clinical issue after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) leading to higher mortality rates and stroke. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the rates of adverse outcomes between patients with and without POAF in patients treated with CABG or combined procedures.

Methods: The search period was from the beginning of PubMed and Embase to May 18, 2020 with no language restrictions.

Evidence-based nursing combined with cognitive function training can reduce the incidence of delirium in ICU patients and improve their cognitive function.

Objective: To explore whether evidence-based nursing combined with cognitive function training can reduce the incidences of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and improve their cognitive function.

Methods: ICU patients in our hospital were randomly divided into an evidence-based nursing group (the E group) and an evidence-based nursing combined with cognitive function training group (the EC group). The incidences of delirium, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, the Barthel Index levels, and the nursing satisfaction rates were compared between the two groups.

His-purkinje system pacing upgrade improve the heart performances in patients suffering from pacing-induced cardiomyopathy with or without permanent atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: The efficacy and safety of his-purkinje system pacing (HPSP) upgrades in patients with pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are still unknown.

Methods And Results: Patients with PICM were continuously enrolled from January 2018 to March 2020. All patients were further divided into AF subgroup and sinus rhythm subgroup.

Trimethylamine N-oxide is associated with coronary atherosclerotic burden in non-ST-segment myocardial infarction patients: SZ-NSTEMI prospective cohort study.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is reported to accelerate atherosclerosis and the development of adverse cardiac outcomes. Relationship between coronary atherosclerotic burden and TMAO has been examined in stable coronary artery disease and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, but not in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). We examined the association between TMAO and coronary atherosclerotic burden in NSTEMI.

The value of lactate/albumin ratio for predicting the clinical outcomes of critically ill patients with heart failure.

Background: Previous studies have shown that the lactate/albumin (L/A) ratio plays a role in predicting the outcomes of septic shock or severe sepsis. However, the role of the L/A ratio in predicting the outcomes of critically ill patients with heart failure remains unclear. We therefore performed a retrospective study to clarify this issue.

Osteoglycin knockdown promotes vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration in aortic dissection via the VEGF/VEGFR2 axis.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins serve a major role in the pathogenesis of aortic dissection (AD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of osteoglycin (OGN), an ECM proteoglycan, on aortic dissection (AD), as well as the underlying mechanism. Thoracic aortic tissues from 20 patients with AD and healthy thoracic aortic tissue from 5 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were collected to detect OGN expression levels.

The Role of miR-107 as a Potential Biomarker and Cellular Factor for Acute Aortic Dissection.

Acute aortic dissection (AD) is one of the most severe and highly mortality vascular disease. Its actual prevalence may be seriously underestimated. We studied different expression genes to understand gene profile change between acute AD and nondiseased individuals, and then discover potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of acute AD.

CHADS-VASc Score as a Predictor of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Catheter Ablation of Typical Atrial Flutter.

Purpose: Cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation is an effective procedure for typical atrial flutter (AFL), but patients remain at an elevated risk for developing new atrial fibrillation (AF). Currently, there are limited data on the utility of CHADS-VASc score to predict new-onset AF after typical AFL ablation. In this study, we assessed whether the CHADS-VASc score is a useful predictor of new-onset AF after CTI ablation in typical AFL patients without a prior history of AF.

[Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in left ventricular dysfunction patients complicated with mitral regurgitation].

To evaluate the efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in left ventricular dysfunction patients complicated with different degrees of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). The clinical data of 525 patients (428 males and 97 females) undergoing CABG in Fuwai Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Shenzhen, and Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between January 2015 and December 2018 were collected. The average age was (61±7) years old.

Data for short and long-term prothrombotic biomarkers after cryoballoon and radiofrequency ablation.

Data presented in this article are supplementary analyzed tables and individual raw data to our research article entitled "Short and long-term changes in platelet and inflammatory biomarkers after cryoballoon and radiofrequency ablation (Bin Waleed K et al., 2019) [1]". These supplementary analyzed tables and individual raw data included platelet activation biomarkers [P-selectin (CD62P), CD40 ligand (CD40L), platelet factor-4 (PF-4), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet-leukocyte ratio (P-LCR), and platelet distribution width (PDW)]; and inflammatory biomarkers [high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] after cryoballoon (CB) and radiofrequency (RF) ablation.

Gene expression profiling analysis to investigate the role of remote ischemic postconditioning in ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Background: Blood flow restoration is a definitive therapy for salvaging the myocardium following ischemic injury. Nevertheless, the sudden restoration of blood flow to the ischemic myocardium can induce ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).

Results: Herein, we investigated the cardioprotective effect of remote ischemic postconditioning (RPostC) through our in vivo rat model of myocardial IRI.