ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Tianmeng Lingjiao Formula（天礞羚角方， TLF） as an adjunctive therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation （PAF） with phlegm-heat harassing the interior syndrome. MethodsNinety patients with PAF and phlegm-heat harassing the interior syndrome were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 2∶1 ratio to test group （60 cases） and control group （30 cases）. The control group received conventional western medicine， while the test group received TLF in addition to the conventional treatment， with one dose administered daily. The treatment course for both groups was 4 weeks. The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome and the rate of atrial fibrillation （AF） conversion were compared between groups. Assessments included AF burden， frequency and duration of AF episodes， TCM syndrome scores， and European Heart Rhythm Association （EHRA） AF symptom classification before and after treatment. Safety indicators such as blood routine， urine routine， stool routine， liver function， kidney function， and electrolytes were also monitored. Adverse events were recorded. ResultsA total of 82 patients completed the study （54 in the test group and 28 in the control group）. After treatment， AF burden， the frequency and duration of AF episodes， and TCM syndrome scores were significantly reduced in both groups， and the test group showed lower indicators than the control group （P＜0.01 or P＜0.05）. The AF conversion rate was 25.93% （14/54） in the test group， significantly higher than 3.57% （1/28） in the control group （P＜0.05）. The total effective rate for TCM syndrome efficacy was 83.33% （45/54） in the test group， which was significantly higher than 67.86% （19/28） in the control group （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the EHRA atrial fibrillation symptom severity in the test group showed significant improvement， and the improvement in atrial fibrillation symptoms was superior to that in the control group （P＜0.01or P＜0.05）. No significant abnormalities were observed in safety indicators， and no adverse events occurred during the trial. ConclusionTLF as an adjunctive therapy can reduce AF burden， enhance the conversion rate of AF， decrease the frequency and duration of episodes， and improve clinical symptoms in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation presenting with phlegm-heat harassing the interior syndrome， with a favorable safety profile.

Based on the holistic view of "spleen-vessels-heart-spirit" system， this article explores the pathogenesis and progression of atrial fibrillation. It is proposed that the onset of atrial fibrillation is due to failure of the spleen to transport and disharmony of blood vessels； phlegm and blood stasis obstructing the collaterals and damage to the heart structure are the basis of its pathogenesis； the unclear mind and disorder of body and spirit are the causes of its progression. Based on the characteristics of pathological changes in different stages of the disease， it is proposed that early treatment should focus on restoring the middle jiao， clearing and promoting blood vessels， using modified Yigong Powder （异功散）； during the progression of the disease， treatment should remove blood stasis and phlegm， nourish heart and protect the pulse， using self-prescribed modified Mengshi Tongmai Decoction （礞石通脉汤）； meanwhile， calming mind and stabilizing palpitations， and regulating spirit should be sequentially incorporated， with self-prescribed Jiazao Ningmai Decoction （甲枣宁脉汤） or Shenying Dingji Decoction （参英定悸汤） and modified as appropriate. Clinical treatment should focus on the whole disease course of atrial fibrillation， implementing stage-based treatments to enable early intervention and holistic regulation.

Objective To investigate the differentially expressed serum proteins between phlegm-dampness syndrome and non-phlegm-dampness syndrome in patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)combined with atrial fibrillation(AF);To explore the biological basis underlying this comorbidity.Methods Totally 20 patients with phlegm-dampness syndrome and non-phlegm-dampness syndrome of CHD-AF were included,with 10 cases in each group.4D data-independent acquisition(DIA)proteomics was employed for protein expression profiling.Differential proteins were screened based on criteria and protein interaction network analysis was performed to identify key differential proteins between the two groups.GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted on the key differential proteins to elucidate the biological basis of phlegm-dampness syndrome in CHD-AF.Results A total of 27 differential proteins were identified based on the screening criteria,including 2 up-regulated and 25 down-regulated proteins.Protein interaction network analysis revealed 10 key differential proteins.GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses suggested that phlegm-dampness syndrome in CHD-AF was primarily associated with inflammatory responses,oxidative stress and dysregulation of fluid metabolism.Conclusion Serum protein expression profiles differed between phlegm-dampness and non-phlegm-dampness syndromes in CHD-AF patients.The biological basis may be mainly related to inflammatory responses,oxidative stress and dysregulation of fluid metabolism.

Objective To investigate the differentially expressed serum proteins between phlegm-dampness syndrome and non-phlegm-dampness syndrome in patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)combined with atrial fibrillation(AF);To explore the biological basis underlying this comorbidity.Methods Totally 20 patients with phlegm-dampness syndrome and non-phlegm-dampness syndrome of CHD-AF were included,with 10 cases in each group.4D data-independent acquisition(DIA)proteomics was employed for protein expression profiling.Differential proteins were screened based on criteria and protein interaction network analysis was performed to identify key differential proteins between the two groups.GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted on the key differential proteins to elucidate the biological basis of phlegm-dampness syndrome in CHD-AF.Results A total of 27 differential proteins were identified based on the screening criteria,including 2 up-regulated and 25 down-regulated proteins.Protein interaction network analysis revealed 10 key differential proteins.GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses suggested that phlegm-dampness syndrome in CHD-AF was primarily associated with inflammatory responses,oxidative stress and dysregulation of fluid metabolism.Conclusion Serum protein expression profiles differed between phlegm-dampness and non-phlegm-dampness syndromes in CHD-AF patients.The biological basis may be mainly related to inflammatory responses,oxidative stress and dysregulation of fluid metabolism.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD) total burden and the imaging markers and the degree of unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis.Methods:The study was a cross-sectional study. Clinical and imaging data of patients with chronic unilateral MCA stenosis who underwent multimodal MRI from October 2015 to January 2019 in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 261 patients were included, 187 males and 74 females. According to the degree of MCA stenosis, the patients were divided into 102 cases in severe stenosis-occlusion group (stenosis degree ≥70%) and 159 cases in mild-moderate stenosis group (stenosis degree <70%). CSVD imaging marker scores (including white matter hyperintensity, perivascular space, cerebral microbleed, and lacune of presumed vascular origin) were assessed according to the ?standards for reporting vascular changes on neuroimaging 1 in the 2 groups, and the CSVD total burden score was calculated. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the indicators between the two groups, and the CSVD total burden score and imaging marker scores were ultimately included in a multifactorial binary logistic regression to assess the association of CSVD imaging markers with severe stenosis-occlusion of the MCA after adjusting for vascular risk factors (age, gender, drinking, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease). Results:There were significant differences in the CSVD total burden, centrum semiovale perivascular space and lacune of presumed vascular origin score between the mild-to-moderate stenosis group and the severe stenosis-occlusion group (all P<0.05), and none of the differences in the remaining imaging marker scores were statistically significant (all P>0.05). Multivariate binary logistics regression analysis showed CSVD total burden score ( OR=1.300, 95% CI 1.047-1.613, P=0.017), centrum semiovale perivascular space score ( OR=2.099, 95% CI 1.540-2.860, P<0.001) and lacune of presumed vascular origin score ( OR=2.609, 95% CI 1.294-5.261, P=0.007) were independent associated with severe stenosis-occlusion of MCA. Conclusion:The higher CSVD total burden score, centrum semiovale perivascular space score and lacune of presumed vascular origin score are associated with severe stenosis-occlusion of MCA.

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation can be attributed to the category of xinji （palpitations） and zhangchong （severe palpitations） in traditional Chinese medicine， and its onset has the characteristics of urgency， change， and movement， which is similar to the characteristics of diseases induced by wind pathogen. It is believed that the internal movement of wind pathogen runs through the whole course of this disease， and palpitations due to wind as the direct pathogenesis. Palpitations caused by wind pathogen showed different characteristics of deficiency and excess pattern. In the acute exacerbation period， excess wind is the main cause of disease. For excessive heat generating wind， the treatment is to clear the liver and extinguish wind by self-modified Lingxia Qinggan Decoction （羚夏清肝汤）； for blood stasis generating wind， the treatment is to remove blood stasis and stop wind by self-modified Yandan Limai Decoction （延丹理脉汤）； for phlegm-heat accumulation with wind， the treatment is to dissolve phlegm and eliminate wind by self-modified Lianlou Danxing Decoction （连蒌胆星汤）. In the prolonged recovery period， deficiency wind is more common. For stirring of wind due to yin deficiency， the treatment is to nourish yin and extinguish wind by self-modified Zaoshao Zhenzhu Deoction （枣芍珍珠汤）； for spleen deficiency generating wind， the treatment is to strengthen spleen and nourish wind by self-modified Shenying Dingji Deoction （参英定悸汤）. Clinical prescriptions closely follow the characteristics of wind， weigh the changes of deficiency and excess， tailor with the patterns， and regulate qi and blood of the zang-fu organs， in order to extinguish wind and arrest convulsion.

Objective:To explore the value of fast susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) generated by a deep learning model in assessment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:From January 2019 to January 2021, 118 AIS patients [75 males and 43 females, aged 23-100 (66±14) years] who underwent MR examination and SWI sequence scanning within 24 h of symptom onset in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. MATLAB ′s randperm function was used to divide 118 patients into a training set of 96 cases and a test set of 22 cases at a ratio of 8∶2. Fourty-seven AIS patients [38 males and 9 females, aged 16-75 (58±12) years] from one center of a multicenter study were selected to build the external validation set. SWI image and filtered phase image were combined into complex value image as full sampling reference image. Undersampled SWI images were obtained by retrospective undersampling of reference fully sampled images, and the undersampling multiple was five times which could save 80% of the scanning time, then the complex-valued convolutional neural network (ComplexNet) was used to develop reconstruct fast SWI. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) or Kappa tests were used to compare the consistency of image quality and the diagnostic consistency for the presence of susceptibility vessel sign (SVS), cerebral microbleeds and asymmetry of cerebral deep medullary veins (DMVs) in AIS patient on fully sampled SWI and fast SWI based on ComplexNet.Results:In test set, score of image quality was 4.5±0.6 for fully sampled SWI image and 4.6±0.7 for fast SWI based on ComplexNet, and coefficient was excellent (ICC=0.86, P<0.05). Full sampling SWI had good agreement with fast SWI based on ComplexNet in detecting SVS (Kappa=0.79, P<0.05), microbleeds (Kappa=0.86, P<0.05), and DMVs asymmetry (Kappa=0.82, P<0.05) in AIS patients. In the external validation set, score of image quality was 4.1±1.0 for fully sampled SWI image and 4.0±0.9 for fast SWI based on ComplexNet, and coefficient was excellent (ICC=0.97, P<0.05). Full sampling SWI had good agreement with fast SWI based on ComplexNet in detecting SVS (Kappa=0.74, P<0.05), microbleeds (Kappa=0.83, P<0.05), and DMVs asymmetry (Kappa=0.74, P<0.05) in AIS patients. Conclusions:Deep learning techniques can significantly accelerate the speed of SWI, and the consistency of image quality and detected AIS signs between fast SWI based on ComplexNet and fully sampled SWI is good. The fast SWI based on ComplexNet can be applied to the radiographic assessment of clinical AIS patients

Objective To evaluate the short term results of endovascular laser for the treatment (ELVT) of great saphenous varicosity. Methods Twenty one cases (a total of 27 lower extremities) were enrolled. Treatment included EL combined with ligation and resection of communicating branches. One patient underwent high ligation and resection of the great saphenous vein for the purpose of pathology after ELVT treatment. Result Twenty patients were followed-up for a period of 2～6 months. Color Duplex ultrosonography was conducted 2 weeks,4 weeks,and 6 mos,respectively. Thrombotic obliteration was found in all cases. Pathology study showed perforation of the vein with intimal injury and thrombosis. Conclusion The short term efficacy of EL treatment is definite with insignificant side-effect,and quick patient recovery. The mechanism is related to direct thermal injury of laser to the venous intima resulting in thrombotic obliteration.