Adventitial crosslinking is a method in current investigational stage for preventing the rupture of aortic aneurysms. It is based on the photochemical crosslinking of adventitial collagen by exposure to ultraviolet A radiation. Essentially, an adventitial top layer is generated that displays enhanced mechanical properties and imparts additional strength and stiffness to the aneurysmal wall. Looking back upon the history of aortic surgery during 1940s, the aortic film wrapping, then dubbed “cellophane wrapping”, also was a procedure employed for delaying the aneurysmal rupture. In principle, the two procedures are similar in that both result in laminar composites, although the top layers differ fundamentally from each other. This review discussed in some detail the use and clinical outcomes of the aortic wrapping with artificial films, also mentioning the contemporary procedures still grouped under this umbrella term. The focus of the review was a comparative view on two procedures, the aortic film wrapping and adventitial crosslinking. It was concluded that the methods are different in many aspects, including the mechanisms of action. In fact, the promoters of adventitial crosslinking were not aware of the prior existence of aortic film wrapping. However, the achievements of the classical wrapping, by now regarded as merely historical episodes, did not discard prior knowledge, but repurposed it in a process that led to innovative strategies.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is known as a non-communicable disease (NCD) that affects more and more individuals. MetS is closely related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity and inflammation. It is associated with T2DM due to the disturbance in insulin secretion/effect, eventually leading to insulin resistance (IR). The link between MetS and CVD is due to accelerated atherosclerosis in response to chronic inflammation. This literature review was based on a search in the PubMed database. All selected articles are written in English and cover a period of approximately 10 years (January 2014 to May 2023). The first selection used MeSH terms such as: “metabolic syndrome”, “type 2 diabetes mellitus”, “obesity”, “inflammation”, and “insulin resistance” and different associations between them. Titles and abstracts were analyzed. In the end, 44 articles were selected, 4 of which were meta-analysis studies. Currently, an individual is considered to have MetS if they present 3 of the following changes: increased waist circumference, increased triglycerides (TG), reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), increased fasting blood glucose and hypertension. We believe this can often lead to a false diagnosis. The objective of this paper is to compile what we consider to be an appropriate panel of MetS indicators. The markers that stand out in this review are the lipid profile, anti- and pro-inflammatory function and oxidative stress. Considering the research, we believe that a complete panel, to correlate the most characteristic conditions of MetS, should include the following markers: TG/HDL-C ratio, small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SdLDL-C), lipid peroxidation markers, leptin/adiponectin ratio, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), activin-A and ferritin levels. Finally, it is important to expand research on the pathophysiology of MetS and confirm the most appropriate markers as well as discover new ones to correctly diagnose this condition.

Left ventricular (LV) function is typically evaluated through LV ejection fraction (EF), a robust indicator of risk, showing a nonlinear increase in mortality rates below 40%. Conversely, excessively high EF values (> 65%) also correlate with elevated mortality, following a U-shaped curve, with its nadir observed between 50% and 65%. This underscores the necessity for improved identification of the hypercontractile phenotype. However, EF is not synonymous with LV contraction function, as it can fluctuate independently of contractility due to variations in afterload, preload, heart rate, and ventricular-arterial coupling. Assessing the contractile status of the LV requires more specific metrics, such as LV elastance (or contractile force) and global longitudinal strain. Current guidelines outline various parameters for a more precise characterization of LV contractility, yet further research is warranted for validation. The true hypercontractile phenotype is evident in cardiac pathologies such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ischemia with angiographically normal coronary arteries, Tako-tsubo syndrome, heart failure with preserved EF, and may also stem from systemic disorders including anemia, hyperthyroidism, liver, kidney, or pulmonary diseases. The hypercontractile phenotype constitutes a distinctive hemodynamic substrate underlying clinical manifestations such as angina, dyspnea, or arrhythmias, presenting a target for intervention through beta-blockers or specific cardiac myosin inhibitors. While EF remains pivotal for clinical classification, risk stratification, and therapeutic decision-making, integrating it with other indices of LV function can enhance the characterization of the hypercontractile phenotype.

While authorship practices can vary across different disciplines, authorship should reflect the individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the research project, take public responsibility for the paper’s content, and agree to its submission for publication. In real life, the article is usually authored by at least one truly genuine author and some parasitic authors. The first author and the last author are especially important. The middle authors are less important, and their participation is often wrongly seen as an inconsequential decorative favor. The honorary author, a gift or guest author, is added as a bonus to please someone higher in the hierarchy than the submitting author. This practice is believed to enhance the chances of publication, but usually, the excess of honorary authors will make reviewers more critical. A ghost author contributed substantially but it does not appear in the list of authors to avoid declaring an overt conflict of interest. The gold author is someone paid by a third party in direct or indirect forms, and capable of writing and signing everything asked by the payer, including overstating the merits of a new drug or ignoring its drawbacks. A fake author does not exist, and while it may seem humorous it is a breach of scientific integrity and can lead to serious consequences for the individuals involved. With Chat-generative pre-trained transformer (Chat-GPT), artificial intelligence may contribute decisively to the article content and presentation. Overall, it is important to maintain high standards of integrity and transparency in authorship practices to ensure that research findings are trustworthy and reliable. The reputation of your work is in the hands of your coauthors, so choose them carefully and make sure they share your commitment to scientific integrity.