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Objective To investigate the association between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with ischemic heart failure. Methods This study involved 120 patients with ischemic heart failure, characterized by sinus rhythm and a reduced ejection fraction (EF < 40%). NT-proBNP levels were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. At the 12-month follow-up, patients underwent 12-lead electrocardiography (EKG) or Holter monitoring to identify new-onset AF. Patients were classified into an AF group (n=44) and a non-AF group (n=76). Clinical characteristics and echocardiographic data were reviewed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to ascertain the optimal NT-proBNP threshold for predicting new-onset AF, and logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic impact of NT-proBNP levels. Results New-onset AF was detected in 36.7% of the cohort. Significant elevations in functional capacity (NYHA class), NT-proBNP levels, E/A ratio, E/E' ratio, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), left atrial volume (LAV), and left atrial volume index (LAVI) were observed in the AF group compared to the non-AF group (P

Passion fruit is a valued tropical fruit crop that faces environment-related growth strains. TCP genes are important for both growth modulation and stress prevention in plants. Herein, we systematically analyzed the TCP gene family in passion fruit, recognizing 30 members. Genes exhibiting closer phylogenetic relationships exhibited similar protein and gene structures. Gene members of the TCP family showed developmental-stage- or tissue-specific expression profiles during the passion fruit life cycle. Transcriptome data also demonstrated that many PeTCPs showed induced expression in response to hormonal treatments and cold, heat, and salt stress. Based on transcriptomics data, eight candidate genes were chosen for preferential gene expression confirmation under cold stress conditions. The qRT-PCR assays suggested PeTCP15/16/17/19/23 upregulation, while PeTCP1/11/25 downregulation after cold stress. Additionally, TCP19/20/29/30 exhibited in silico binding with cold-stress-related miRNA319s. GFP subcellular localization assays exhibited PeTCP19/1 were localized at the nucleus. This study will aid in the establishment of novel germplasm, as well as the further investigation of the roles of PeTCPs and their cold stress resistance characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compounds for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) were searched to collect randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trials of FD treated with TCM compounds. The search duration was from the establishment of the database to March 2, 2021. After two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the bias risk included in the study, they used RevMan 5.4 software for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 23 clinical trials were included, including 2 898 patients. Meta-analysis showed that the overall remission rate of FD treated with TCM compounds was significantly higher than that of placebo (73.8% vs. 46.2%) [RR = 1.50, 95% CI (1.29, 1.76), P < 0.000 01]. Among the single symptoms, TCM compounds were superior to the placebo in improving epigastric pain [MD =-0.99, 95% CI (-1.37,-0.61), P < 0.000 01], epigastric burning sensation [MD =-0.32, 95% CI (-0.59,-0.05), P = 0.02], postprandial fullness discomfort [MD = -1.59, 95% CI (-1.96, -1.21), P < 0.000 01], and early satiety symptoms [MD = -0.93, 95% CI (-1.32, -0.54), P < 0.000 01]. Compared with the placebo, TCM compounds treatment can obviously improve TCM syndrome in patients with FD [MD = -5.58, 95% CI (-7.55,-3.61), P < 0.000 01], gastric emptying rate [MD = 12. 22, 95% CI (8.90, 15.55), P < 0.00001], and helped to improve patients' quality of life [MD = 11.27, 95% CI (0.10, 22.43), P = 0.05]. No severe adverse events were reported between the two groups [RR = 1.34, 95% CI (0.91, 1.96), P = 0.14]. Conclusion: Our results showed that TCM compounds treatment could significantly alleviate FD symptoms, improve gastric emptying in FD patients, and help to improve their quality of life. No severe adverse reactions have been reported in clinical applications. Due to the limitation of the quantity and quality of the included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified by more high-quality studies.