Lessons Learned from RADIOSOUND-HTN: Different Technologies and Techniques for Catheter-based Renal Denervation and Their Effect on Blood Pressure

The interest in renal denervation (RDN) as a treatment for arterial hypertension has returned with three proof of principle trials that have shown recently RDN to be superior to sham treatment. Nevertheless, many questions about this treatment remain open, including those around the optimal interventional technique and technology. To clarify this important question, the authors designed and conducted the Randomized Trial of Different Renal Denervation Devices and Techniques in Patients with Resistant Hypertension (RADIOSOUND-HTN) trial, which compared three RDN treatment arms in a prospective randomised clinical trial. In this article, they comment on the background and results of this trial, and discuss which conclusions can be drawn from the trial, and which questions remain open for future studies in this field

In Situ RheoNMR Correlation of Polymer Segmental Mobility with Mechanical Properties during Hydrogel Synthesis

Understanding polymer gelation over multiple length-scales is crucial to develop advanced materials. An experimental setup is developed that combines rheological measurements with simultaneous time-domain $^{1}$H NMR relaxometry (TD-NMR) techniques, which are used to study molecular motion (<10 nm) in soft matter. This so-called low-field RheoNMR setup is used to study the impact of varying degrees of crosslinking (DC) on the gelation kinetics of acrylic acid (AAc) and N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) free radical crosslinking copolymerization. A stretched exponential function describes the T$_{2}$ relaxation curves throughout the gelation process. The stretching exponent β decreases from 0.90 to 0.67 as a function of increasing DC, suggesting an increase in network heterogeneity with a broad T$_{2}$ distribution at higher DC. The inverse correlation of the elastic modulus G′ with T2 relaxation times reveals a pronounced molecular rigidity for higher DC at early gelation times, indicating the formation of inelastic, rigid domains such as crosslinking clusters. The authors further correlate G′ with the polymer concentration during gelation using a T$_{1}$ filter for solvent suppression. A characteristic scaling exponent of 2.3 is found, which is in agreement with theoretical predictions of G′ based on the confining tube model in semi-dilute entangled polymer solutions

Media-expressed tone, option characteristics, and stock return predictability

We investigate the informational content of a huge assortment of NASDAQ articles about a joint cross-section of S&amp;P 500 stock return data and related single-stock option data. Splitting the articles into a trading-time and an overnight archive, we distill tone from each of them. We show that media-expressed tone is informative about option markets and that both option data and tone predict stock returns. The predictive power of option variables is robust to partialling out tone, but varies depending on whether tone is from the overnight or the trading-time archive. A potential reason is that the archives differ in terms of their thematic content. Overall, we conclude that the informational content of option data for predicting single-stock returns extends beyond the information summarized in tone and traditional market factors

Twenty‐Four‐Month Blood Pressure Results After Renal Denervation Using Endovascular Ultrasound

BACKGROUND Renal denervation has proven its efficacy to lower blood pressure in comparison to sham treatment in recent randomized clinical trials. Although there is a large body of evidence for the durability and safety of radiofrequency‐based renal denervation, there are a paucity of data for endovascular ultrasound–based renal denervation (uRDN). We aimed to assess the long‐term efficacy and safety of uRDN in a single‐center cohort of patients. METHODS AND RESULTS Data from 2 previous studies on uRDN were pooled. Ambulatory 24‐hour blood pressure measurements were taken before as well as 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment with uRDN. A total of 130 patients (mean age 63±9 years, 24% women) underwent uRDN. After 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, systolic mean 24‐hour ambulatory blood pressure values were reduced by 10±12, 10±14, 8±15, and 10±15 mm Hg, respectively, when compared with baseline (P<0.001). Corresponding diastolic values were reduced by 6±8, 6±8, 5±9, and 6±9 mm Hg, respectively (P<0.001). Periprocedural adverse events occurred in 16 patients, and all recovered without sequelae. CONCLUSIONS In this single‐center study, uRDN effectively lowered blood pressure up to 24 months after treatment

Albumin in patients with liver disease shows an altered conformation

Paar et al. propose a SAXS-based approach to study conformations of human serum albumin (HSA) from patients with liver disease and a structural understanding of HSA dynamicity and its correlation with clinical variables are provided. Using it on real clinical samples, this study has concrete practical implications too

Changes in left atrial function in patients undergoing cardioversion for atrial fibrillation: relevance of left atrial strain in heart failure

Background!#!Left atrial (LA) reservoir strain provides prognostic information in patients with and without heart failure (HF), but might be altered by atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of the current study was to investigate changes of LA deformation in patients undergoing cardioversion (CV) for first-time diagnosis of AF.!##!Methods and results!#!We performed 3D-echocardiography and strain analysis before CV (Baseline), after 25 ± 10 days (FU-1) and after 190 ± 20 days (FU-2). LA volumes, reservoir, conduit and active function were measured. In total, 51 patients were included of whom 35 were in SR at FU-1 (12 HF and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)), while 16 had ongoing recurrence of AF (9 HFpEF). LA maximum volume was unaffected by cardioversion (Baseline vs. FU-2: 41 ± 11 vs 40 ± 10 ml/m!##!Conclusion!#!Reestablished SR improves LA reservoir strain by restoring LA active strain. Despite prolonged atrial stunning following CV, preserved SR might be of hemodynamic and prognostic benefit in HFpEF