Association of preexisting hypertension with the morality in patients with systolic heart failure in Taiwan: The TSOC-HFrEF registry

Purpose To investigate the association of preexisting hypertension at admission with the mortality in patients with systolic heart failure (HF). Method We prospectively investigated the association of preexisting hypertension with the mortality among 1351 patients with HF in Taiwan during an average 12 months (range: 8 months–18 months) follow-up period. A multivariate cox regression analysis for the overall cohort and a subgroup analysis by age were performed. Results After adjustment for all potential risk factors, the associations of preexisting hypertension with cardiovascular mortality were significantly reduced in the overall cohort and those aged less than 65 years (hazard ratios (HR): 0.53, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.33–0.84, and 0.28, 95% CI: 0.11–0.67, respectively). However, the associations with all-cause mortality were not significantly different in these two groups (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.54–1.09, and 0.59, 95% CI: 0.32–1.07, respectively). Furthermore, the associations were all nonsignificant in the patients aged older than 65 years. Conclusion Preexisting hypertension have an inverse association with cardiovascular mortality in the Asian patients with systolic HF, particularly for those with younger ages.

Neurotoxicity and biomarkers of lead exposure: a review / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Appropriate selection and measurement of lead biomarkers of exposure are critically important for health care management purposes, public health decision making, and primary prevention synthesis. Lead is one of the neurotoxicants that seems to be involved in the etiology of psychologies. Biomarkers are generally classified into three groups: biomarkers of exposure, effect, and susceptibility.The main body compartments that store lead are the blood, soft tissues, and bone; the half-life of lead in these tissues is measured in weeks for blood, months for soft tissues, and years for bone. Within the brain, lead-induced damage in the prefrontal cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum can lead to a variety of neurological disorders, such as brain damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems, nerve damage, and possibly Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsons disease, and schizophrenia. This paper presents an overview of biomarkers of lead exposure and discusses the neurotoxic effects of lead with regard to children and adults.

Bond strength of seventh generation adhesives to normal and caries-affected dentine / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Researchers in China and abroad have done a lot of experiments to study the bond strength of dentine adhesives from generation one to six,which have received satisfied results. However,there are still no reports about the bond strength of the seventh generation adhesive (Adper EasyTM one). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the bond strength of the Adper EasyTM one to normal dentine and caries-affected dentine,and to compare the results with total-etching adhesives. METHODS: A total of 12 healthy posterior teeth were randomly divided into group A and B; 12 posterior teeth with chronic occlusal caries were divided into group C and D. Adper EasyTM one was applied for group A and C,while Single bond 2 for group B and D. The modes of group A,B,C,D were subjected to microtensile bond strength test. Interfacial morphologies were analyzed by Stereo-Microscopy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The microtensile bond strength of group A and B was (21.84±3.98),(27.10±4.85) MPa,which was (16.44±3.46) and (21.48±4.85) MPa in the group C and D. The differences between group A and B,group C and D,group A and C,as well as group B and D were statistical significant (P < 0.05). Failures mostly occur along the resin-dentine interface. The total-etching adhesives performed more effectively to both normal dentine and caries-affected dentine than Adper EasyTM one. For the same adhesive,the healthy dentine yielded higher bond strength than the caries-affected dentine.