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The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between androgen and LVH in postmenopausal hypertensive women. Enrolled in this study were 378 postmenopausal hypertensive women who were admitted to the department of cardiology between December 2018 and December 2020. According to left ventricular mass index (LVMI) evaluated by echocardiography, the patients were divided into LVH group (n = 172) and non‐LVH group (n = 206). Their clinical characteristics were collected. Based on the result of propensity score matching analysis, 160 cases in each group were matched successfully. After correcting for confounding factors by various models, the results showed that free androgen index (FAI) and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) were the influencing factors of LVH in postmenopausal women with hypertension. Patients with elevated SHBG were 5% less likely to develop LVH than those without elevated SHBG (OR: 0.950, 95% CI 0.922‐1.578). Postmenopausal hypertensive patients with elevated FAI were 16% more likely to have LVH than those without elevated FAI (OR: 1.608, 95% CI 0.807‐3.202). Multiple linear regression showed that LVMI increased by 61.82g/m2 for every 1 unit increase in FAI. In addition, SHBG decreased by 1 nmol/l, and LVMI increased by 0.177g/m2. Subgroup analysis showed that patients in the controlled BP group had a lower risk of LVH for every additional unit of SHBG compared with the uncontrolled BP group. The risk of LVH for each additional unit of FAI in the uncontrolled BP group was higher than that in the controlled BP group. The results of this present study showed that the occurrence of LVH was positively correlated with FAI and negatively correlated with SHBG in postmenopausal women with hypertension. The increase in FAI level and the decrease in SHBG level may be related to the occurrence and development of LVH in postmenopausal hypertension. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy increases dramatically in women after menopause, leading to an increased risk of death from cardiovascular events. Androgen was found to be associated with blood pressure regulation in animal models. However, there has been no clinical study to address the association between androgen and LVH in postmenopausal women.

Hypertension is the predominant cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) globally, and essential hypertension (EH) represents a significant public health challenge due to its multifactorial etiology involving complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. However, the pathogenesis of EH is still unclear. Hypertension is a dysregulation in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and sympathetic nervous system, both regulating saline homeostasis and cardiovascular function. However, current therapeutic interventions targeting these systems have limited efficacy in approximately 40% of cases, suggesting the involvement of alternative mechanisms. Inflammation is associated with the occurrence and progression of hypertension, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive, while chronic inflammation leads to tissue damage, fibrosis, and irreversible organ dysfunction. The development and maintenance of EH are caused by endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation. Neutrophils are involved in both acute and chronic inflammation since they represent the primary line of defense against inflammatory insults once recruited to the inflamed site where they remove harmful impurities. The process involving the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is called NETosis are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of CVDs, including coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. Recent investigations demonstrated that NETs facilitate the development of hypertension; however, the precise role of NETs in hypertension remains largely elusive. Therefore, this review aims to provide an overview of the current understanding regarding the involvement of NETosis in hypertension and explore the potential therapies targeting NETs for future interventions.

•The reproducibility assessment of magnetic resonance spectroscopy was explored.•CV and ICC showed good reliability of within- and between- scanning sessions.•Bland-Altman plots indicated strong agreement in the repeated measurements.•Pearson correlation coefficients showed great reproducibility across three machines.•It revealed higher reproducibility for the intra-vendor than the inter-vendor. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) has potential in clinical diagnosis and understanding the mechanism of illnesses. However, its application is limited by the lack of standardization in data acquisition and processing across time points and between different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system vendors. This study examines whether metabolite concentrations obtained from different sessions, scanner models, and vendors can be reliably reproduced and combined for diagnostic analysis-an important consideration for rare disease research. Participants underwent magnetic resonance scanning once on two separate days within one week (one session per day, each including two 1H-MRS scans without subject movement) on each machine. Absolute metabolite concentrations were analyzed for reliability of within- and between- session using the coefficient of variation (CV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman (BA) plot, and for reproducibility across the machines using the Pearson correlation coefficient. As for within- and between- session, most of the CV values for a group of all the first or second scans of a session, and from each session were below 20 %, and most of ICCs ranged from moderate (0.4≤ICC<0.59) to excellent (ICC≥0.75), which indicated high reliability. Most of the BA plots had the line of equality between 95 % confidence interval of bias (mean difference), therefore the differences over scanning time could be negligible. Majority of the Pearson correlation coefficients approached 1 with statistical significance (P < 0.001), showing high reproducibility across the three scanners. Additionally, the intra-vendor reproducibility was greater than the inter-vendor ones. [Display omitted]

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases and tumors are best known for its high morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a growing recognition of the association between CV diseases and tumorigenesis. In addition to CV damage caused by anti-tumor drugs and tumor-induced organ dysfunction, CV events themselves and their treatment may also have a role in promoting tumorigenesis. Therefore, Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of the two kinds of diseases have entered the era of clinical convergence. Emerging evidence indicates significant biologic overlap between cancer and CV diseases, with the recognition of shared biologic mechanisms. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) represent an immune mechanism of neutrophils promoting the development of tumors and their metastasis. It has been recently demonstrated that NETs exist in various stages of hypertension and heart failure, exacerbating disease progression. At present, most studies focus on the biological role of NETs in CV diseases and tumor respectively, and there are relatively few studies on the specific regulatory mechanisms and effects of NETs in cardiovascular diseases associated with tumors. In this narrative review, we summarize some recent basic and clinical findings on how NETs are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases associated with tumors. We also highlight that the development of treatments targeting NETs may be one of the effective ways to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases associated with tumors.

Cardiovascular diseases are seen to be a primary cause of death, and their prevalence has significantly increased across the globe in the past few years. Several studies have shown that cell death is closely linked to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, many molecular and cellular mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of the cardiac cell death mechanism. One of the factors that played a vital role in the pathogenesis of cardiac cell death mechanisms included the early growth response-1 ( ) factor. Studies have shown that abnormal expression is linked to different animal and human disorders like heart failure and myocardial infarction. The biosynthesis of regulates its activity. can be triggered by many factors such as serum, cytokines, hormones, growth factors, endotoxins, mechanical injury, hypoxia, and shear stress. It also displays a pro-apoptotic effect on cardiac cells, under varying stress conditions. EGR1 mediates a broad range of biological responses to oxidative stress and cell death by combining the acute changes occurring in the cellular environment with sustained changes in gene expression. The primary regulatory role played by the -targeting DNAzymes, microRNAs, and oligonucleotide decoy strategies in cardiovascular diseases were identified to provide a reference to identify novel therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases.

Upon initial presentation, initial brain metastasis velocity (iBMV) is a prognostic factor for patients with brain metastases (BMs). Based on this metric, this study validated the predictive value of iBMV and introduced a Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA)-derived scale known as melanoma-GPA. We conducted a retrospective cohort study and enrolled patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma brain metastases (MBMs) between December 2010 and February 2023. We performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS). A novel prognostic scoring model was derived using these factors, then melanoma-GPA and GPA predictive capabilities were assessed and compared. We enrolled 111 patients with a median OS and iBMV of 11.80 months and 2.27, respectively. The Kaplan–Meier curves showed that patients with iBMV ≤ 2.27 have better prognostic performance ( P  < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that iBMV ( P  = 0.035), Karnofsky Performance Status ( P  < 0.001), serum lactate dehydrogenase ( P  = 0.028), serum albumin ( P  = 0.041), and the systemic immune-inflammation index ( P  = 0.042) were independent predictors of OS. Subsequently, we established the melanoma-GPA. After risk stratification, the low-risk group had significantly longer survival than the high-risk group (17.7 vs. 7.9 months). In addition, over 3 years, the melanoma-GPA area under the curve (AUC) values were superior to GPA AUC values, indicating that melanoma-GPA has greater predictive accuracy. This study has shown that iBMV is a prognostic indicator in MBMs. Based on this factor, we established the Melanoma-GPA to comprehensively and objectively assess the prognosis of MBMs.

Background and Objectives: The physiological phenomenon peculiar to women, namely menopause, makes the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in postmenopausal hypertensive women more characteristic. Less is known about the risk of developing LVH in Chinese postmenopausal hypertensive women. Thus, the present study was intended to design a nomogram for predicting the risk of developing LVH in Chinese postmenopausal hypertensive women. Materials and Methods: Postmenopausal hypertensive women aged between 49 and 68 years were divided into either the training set (n = 550) or the validation set (n = 284) in a 2:1 ratio. Patients in the validation set were followed up for one year. A stepwise multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the predictors of LVH in postmenopausal women with hypertension. The best-fit nomogram was executed using R software. The calibration and decision curve were employed to verify the predictive accuracy of the nomogram. The results were evaluated in the validation set. Results: Menopause age (OR = 0.929, 95% CI 0.866–0.998, p = 0.044), BMI (OR = 1.067, 95% CI 1.019–1.116, p = 0.005), morning systolic blood pressure (SBP: OR = 1.050, 95% CI 1.032–1.069, p = 0.000), morning diastolic BP (DBP OR = 1.055, 95% CI 1.028–1.083, p = 0.003), angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) utilization rate (OR = 0.219, 95% CI 0.131–0.365, p = 0.000), LDL-C (OR = 1.460, 95% CI 1.090–1.954, p = 0.011) and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) (OR = 1.415, 95% CI 1.139–1.757, p = 0.028) were associated with LVH in postmenopausal hypertension patients. The nomogram model was then developed using these variables. The internal validation trial showed that the nomogram model described herein had good performance in discriminating a C-index of 0.881 (95% CI: 0.837–0.924) and high quality of calibration plots. External validation of LVH-predictive nomogram results showed that the area under the ROC curve was 0.903 (95%CI 0.900–0.907). Conclusions: Our results indicate that the risk prediction nomogram model based on menopausal age, BMI, morning SBP, morning DBP, ARB utilization rate, LDL-C and CAVI has good accuracy and may provide useful references for the medical staff in the intuitive and individualized risk assessment in clinical practice.

The Ediacaran Period records a significant turning point in the evolution of life on Earth, witnessing the rise to ecological dominance of macroscopic tissue-grade organisms. The Wenghui biota from the Doushantuo Formation of South China hosts abundant multicellular algal macrofossils and problematica, some of which might be closely related to taxa from classic Late Ediacaran assemblages from South Australia and the White Sea biota of Russia. However, a lack of well-resolved isotopic age estimates has hampered efforts to constrain the timing of appearance of the Wenghui biota, obfuscating its significance to our understanding of Ediacaran macroevolution in the aftermath of the Snowball Earth events. Here, we present the first SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating results for samples obtained from a laminated tuff ash layer at the base of the Wenghui biota in the Doushantuo Formation, Jiangkou County, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, China. Our analyses yield an age of 595.4 ± 5.3 Ma for the first appearance of Wenghui biota, suggesting that its appearance postdated that of the Lantian and Weng’an biotas, but preceded that of the Miaohe biota. These newly obtained age proxies offer an independent test of previous isotopic estimates for the age of the Wenghui biota, providing new chronostratigraphic evidence to map the succession of Ediacaran fossil assemblages on the Yangtze Platform during the Doushantuo interval. These data suggest that the Lantian, Weng’an, Wenghui, and Miaohe biotas may record a sequence of biotic assemblages attesting to successive phases in the radiation of Ediacaran macroscopic organisms, particularly macroalgae.

This study evaluated the effects of allisartan isoproxil combined with amlodipine besylate tablets (Group A+C) or metoprolol succinate extended‐release tablets (Group A+B) on sexual function and nighttime blood pressure (nBP) in 130 male patients with essential hypertension (EH). Patients were randomized to two groups. After 6‐month, the IIEF‐15 total score (ITS) of sexual function significantly improved in Group A+C (p = 0.015), including intercourse satisfaction (IS) (p = 0.003), orgasmic function (OF) (p = 0.021), and overall satisfaction (OS) (p = 0.019), while erectile function (EF) (p = 0.081) and sexual desire (SD) (p = 0.08) were unchanged. In contrast, the ITS was decreased (p = 0.008), including EF (p = 0.005), IS (p = 0.048), SD (p = 0.003), and OS (p = 0.010), but OF remained unchanged (p = 0.076) in Group A+B. Between‐group comparisons confirmed significant differences across IIEF‐15 domains (all p < 0.05). Compared to baseline, office systolic BP (OSBP), office diastolic BP (ODBP), nighttime average SBP (nSBP), and nighttime average DBP (nDBP) were significantly reduced at 6 months in two groups (all p < 0.05). Although nSBP fall (nSBPF) (p = 0.010) and nDBP fall (nDBPF) (p = 0.002) significantly increased in Group A+C. In Group A+C, the nighttime‐daytime BP fall ratio of SBP was 1.04 (0.45, 1.70) and that of DBP was 1.13 (0.38, 1.44) after treatment, with a median value > 1, indicating that nBP fall after treatment was greater than dBP fall. Compared to Group A+B, ODBP (difference = −4.00 mmHg, 95% CI [−7.64, −0.36], p = 0.032), daytime average DBP (difference = −5.47 mmHg, 95% CI [−10.05, −0.79], p = 0.023) and 24‐h average DBP (difference = −5.77 mmHg, 95% CI [−10.31, −1.24], p = 0.014) decreased more significantly in Group A+C, nDBPF increased significantly (difference = 4.99 mmHg, 95% CI [0.04, 9.93], p = 0.048), and the decrease in the nighttime‐daytime BP fall ratio of SBP and DBP was higher (p < 0.05). It was concluded that combined antihypertension of allisartan isoproxil with amlodipine besylate tablets improved sexual function in male hypertensive patients in terms of the ITS, IS, OF, and OS, but there was no significant improvement in EF and SD. Both combined antihypertensive regimens were effective in lowering BP, but allisartan isoproxil combined with amlodipine besylate tablets demonstrated more advantageous in lowering DBP and nBP.

Objectives Reliable magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy (MRS) quantification is key to accurate clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to statistically compare the metabolite quantification of human brain MRS between the deep learning method QNet and the classical method LCModel via an easy-to-use intelligent cloud computing platform CloudBrain-MRS. Methods In this retrospective study, 15 healthy volunteers (12 females and 3 males, age range: 21–35 years, mean age ± standard deviation: 27.4 ± 3.9 years) were recruited. In September and October 2021, two 3 T MRI scanners each collected 61 in vivo 1 H MR spectra from the brain region of pregenual anterior cingulate cortex of the healthy participants. The analyses of Bland-Altman, Pearson correlation and reasonability were performed to assess the degree of agreement, linear correlation, and reasonability, respectively, between the two quantification methods. Results The analyses of Bland-Altman, Pearson correlation and reasonability showed very high to moderate consistency (relative half interval of limits of agreement = 3.04%, 9.31%, and 18.50%, respectively) and very strong to moderate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient r  = 0.78, 0.93, and 0.47, respectively) between the two methods for quantifying total N-acetylaspartate (tNAA), total choline (tCho), and inositol (Ins). In addition, the quantification results of QNet were generally closer to the previously reported average values than those of LCModel. Conclusions There were very high to moderate degrees of consistency between the quantification results of QNet and LCModel for tNAA, tCho, and Ins, and QNet generally had more reasonable quantification than LCModel.