OBJECTIVES: To develop an early atrial fibrillation (AF) risk prediction model based on large-scale electrocardiogram (ECG) data from the Chinese population. METHODS: The data of multiple ECG records of 30 383 patients admitted in the Chinese PLA General Hospital between 2009 and 2023 were randomly divided into the training set and the internal testing set in a 7:3 ratio. The predictive factors were selected based on the training set using univariate analysis, LASSO regression, and the Boruta algorithm. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to establish the ECG model and the composite model incorporating age, gender, and ECG model score. The discrimination power, calibration, and clinical net benefits of the models were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), calibration curves, and decision curves. RESULTS: The cohort included 51.1% male patients with a median age of the patients of 51 (36, 62) years and an AF incidence of 4.5% (1370/30 383). In the ECG model, the parameters related to the P wave and QRS complex were identified as significant predictors. In the testing set, the AUROC of the ECG model for predicting 5-year AF risk was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.74-0.80), which was increased to 0.81 (95% CI: 0.78-0.83) after incorporating age and gender, with a net reclassification improvement of 0.123 and an integrated discrimination improvement of 0.04 (P<0.05). The calibration curve of the model was close to the diagonal line. Decision curve analysis showed that the clinical net benefit of the composite model was higher than that of the ECG model across the majority of threshold probability. CONCLUSIONS The composite model incorporating quantitative ECG features during sinus rhythm, along with age and gender, can effectively predict AF risk in the Chinese population, thus providing a low-cost screening tool for early AF risk assessment and management.
Humans ; Atrial Fibrillation/epidemiology* ; Electrocardiography ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; China/epidemiology* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Adult ; Risk Factors ; Risk Assessment ; East Asian People

Objective To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Zhi Long Huoxue Tongyu Capsules combined with Edaravone in the treatment of patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease(ICVD)of qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,and to explore their effect on serum levels of soluble cluster of differentiation 40 ligand(sCD40L),lipoprotein phospholipase A2(Lp-PLA2),and glycated albumin(GA).Methods A total of 117 patients with ICVD of qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into control group 1,control group 2,and study group,with 39 patients in each group.The three groups were all given basic treatment with agents of diuretic,lipid regulation,antiplatelet,and antihypertensive,and additionally,control group 1 was given Edaravone,control group 2 was given Zhi Long Huoxue Tongyu Capsules,and the study group was given Zhi Long Huoxue Tongyu Capsules combined with Edaravone.The course of treatment for the three groups covered 14 days.Before and after treatment,the three groups were observed in the changes of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)scores for neurological function,modified Barthel Index(MBI)scores for activities of daily living(ADL),cerebral hemodynamics indicators[peak systolic velocity(PSV),end-diastolic velocity(EDV),mean velocity(Vm),pulsatility index(PI),and resistance index(RI)],neurofactors[neuron-specific enolase(NSE),S100β protein(S100β),and myelin basic protein(MBP)],vascular endothelial function indicators[von Willebrand factor(VWF),endothelin 1(ET-1),and nitric oxide(NO)],and levels of serum sCD40L,Lp-PLA2,and GA.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and the incidence of adverse reactions among the three groups of patients were compared.Results(1)After 14 days of treatment,the total effective rate of the study group was 94.87%(37/39),which was significantly higher than that of control group 1[71.79%(28/39)]and control group 2[76.92%(30/39)],the differences being statistically significant(P<0.05).No statistically significant difference was shown between control group 1 and control group 2(P>0.05).(2)After treatment,the cerebral hemodynamics indicators of PSV,EDV,Vm,and PI of the middle cerebral artery(MCA)in the three groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the RI was decreased compared with that before treatment(P<0.05).The increase of PSV,EDV,Vm,and PI of the MCA and the decrease of RI in the study group were significantly superior to those in control group 1 and control group 2(P<0.05).No statistically significant differences in PSV,EDV,Vm,PI,and RI of MCA were shown between control group 1 and control group 2 after treatment(P>0.05).(3)After treatment,the serum sCD40L,Lp-PLA2,and GA levels in the three groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease in the study group was significantly superior to that in control group 1 and control group 2(P<0.05).However,the differences of the serum levels after treatment between control group 1 and control group 2 were not statistically significant(P>0.05).(4)After treatment,the serum levels of neurofactors of NSE,S100β,and MBP in the three groups were all decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease of the serum levels in the study group was significantly superior to that in control group 1 and control group 2,while the differences of the serum levels after treatment between control group 1 and control group 2 were not statistically significant(P>0.05).(5)After treatment,the vascular endothelial function indicators of serum vWF and ET-1 levels in the three groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the serum NO level was increased compared with that before treatment(P<0.05).The decrease of serum vWF and ET-1 levels and the increase of serum NO level in the study group were significantly superior to those in control group-1 and control group-2(P<0.05),while the difference of serum vWF,ET-1 and NO levels after treatment between control group 1 and control group 2 were not statistically significant(P>0.05).(6)After treatment,the NIHSS scores for neurological function in the three groups were decreased(P<0.05)and the MBI scores for ADL were increased(P<0.05)compared with those before treatment,and the decrease of the NIHSS scores and the increase of the MBI scores in the study group was significantly superior to those in control group 1 and control group 2(P<0.05),while and the differences of NIHSS and MBI scores after treatment between control group 1 and control group 2 were not statistically significant(P>0.05).(7)The incidence rate of adverse reactions was 15.38%(6/39)in the study group,7.69%(3/39)in the control group 1,and 12.82%(5/39)in the control group 2,and the pairwise comparison between groups showed that the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion Zhi Long Huoxue Tongyu Capsules combined with Edaravone exert certain efficacy in the treatment of patients with ICVD of qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,and the combined therapy is effective on improving blood circulation,restoring neurological function,enhancing the ADL,with higher safety.Its therapeutic mechanism may be related to the improvement of the vascular endothelial function,and the down-regulation of serum levels of neurofactors of NSE,S100 β,MBP,and serum expression levels of sCD40L,Lp-PLA2,and GA.

Objective To explore the effect of Sanshen Shuxin Decoction combined with Huan-gqi Injection in the treatment of coronary heart disease(CHD)and its impacts on left ventricular function and Rho kinase(ROCK)expression.Methods A total of 120 CHD patients admitted to our hospital from August 2021 to August 2023 were selected as study subjects and randomly divided into three groups,with 40 patients in each group using a random number table method.All three groups received basic treatment.On this basis,control group 1 received Sanshen Shuxin Decoction,control group 2 received Huangqi Injection,and the combined group received both Sanshen Shuxin Decoction and Huangqi Injection.The treatment effects,occurrence of angina pectoris,hemorheo-logical parameters[fibrinogen(FIB),low-shear blood viscosity,erythrocyte aggregation index,high-shear blood viscosity],blood lipid indicators[total cholesterol(TG),triglycerides(TC),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)],car-diac function[stroke volume(SV),cardiac output(CO),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)],ROCK activity,and occurrence of adverse reactions were compared among the three groups.Results The total effective rate of treatment in the combined group was higher than that in control group 1 and control group 2(P＜0.05).After 14 days of treatment,the frequency of angina pectoris episodes decreased and the duration of episodes shortened in all three groups compared with before treatment,and the combined group had a lower frequency and shorter duration of angina pec-toris episodes than control group 1 and control group 2(P＜0.05).There were no statistically sig-nificant differences in the frequency and duration of angina pectoris episodes between control group 1 and control group 2 after 14 days of treatment(P＞0.05).After 14 days of treatment,FIB level,e-rythrocyte aggregation index,low-shear blood viscosity,and high-shear blood viscosity decreased in all three groups compared with before treatment,and the combined group had lower values than con-trol group 1 and control group 2(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in these hemorheological parameters between control group 1 and control group 2 after 14 days of treat-ment(P＞0.05).After 14 days of treatment,TG,TC,and LDL-C levels decreased in all three groups compared with before treatment,and the combined group had lower levels than control group 1 and control group 2.HDL-C levels increased in all three groups compared with before treatment,and the combined group had higher HDL-C level than control group 1 and control group 2(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in TG,TC,LDL-C,and HDL-C levels be-tween control group 1 and control group 2 after 14 days of treatment(P＞0.05).After 14 days of treatment,LVEF,CO,and SV increased in all three groups compared with before treatment,and the combined group had higher values than control group 1 and control group 2(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in LVEF,CO,and SV between control group 1 and con-trol group 2 after 14 days of treatment(P＞0.05).Before treatment,ROCK activity was(61.28±7.15)％in the combined group,(60.85±5.93)％in control group 1,and(60.61±6.27)％in control group 2,with no statistically significant difference among the three groups(P＞0.05).After 14 days of treatment,ROCK activity decreased in all three groups compared with before treatment,and the combined group had lower ROCK activity than control group 1 and control group 2(P＜0.05).ROCK activity was(40.18±5.03)％in the combined group,(48.24±6.29)％in con-trol group 1,and(47.79±6.12)％in control group 2 after 14 days of treatment.There was no sta-tistically significant difference in ROCK activity between control group 1 and control group 2 after 14 days of treatment(P＞0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among the three groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Sanshen Shuxin Decoction combined with Huangqi Injection has a significant effect in the treatment of CHD patients.It can im-prove patients'prognosis and ensure treatment safety,demonstrating high clinical value.

Background and aim:A genome-wide association study has indicated the association of numerous genes in the 6p21.3 region with chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection.In this study,we screened 12 representative single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)from the 6p21.3 region and investigated their association with the risk of chronic hepatitis B(CHB)to better understand the molecular etiology un-derlying CHB risk in the Han Chinese population. Methods:Between March 2021 and November 2022,we included 183 patients with CHB(case group)and 196 with natural HBV clearance(control group).Allele typing of the selected SNPs was performed using snapshot technology.The correlation between the 12 chosen SNPs and the risk of chronic HBV infection was examined using binary logistic regression analysis.Interacting genes of the variants were identified,and expression quantitative trait loci(eQTL)were analyzed using the 3DSNP database. Results:We validated 12 previously reported CHB susceptibility sites,including rs1419881 of tran-scription factor 19(TCF19),rs3130542 and rs2853953 of human leukocyte antigen(HLA)-C,rs652888 of euchromatic histone-lysine-methyltransferase 2(EHMT2),rs2856718,rs9276370,rs7756516,and rs7453920 of HLA-DQ,rs378352 of HLA-DOA,and rs3077,rs9277535,and rs9366816 of HLA-DP.Logistic regression analyses revealed that polymorphisms such as rs9276370,rs7756516,rs7453920,rs3077,rs9277535,and rs9366816 were positively correlated with natural HBV clearance in the dominant model.Conversely,rs3130542 and rs378352 were identified as risk factors for CHB.Haplotype analysis revealed that rs9276370,rs7756516,and rs7453920 in HLA-DQ were TTG and GCA haplotypes.Although the TTG haplotype was positively correlated with a higher risk of CHB,the GCA haplotype significantly influenced the natural clearance of HBV.Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that rs378352,rs3077,and rs9366816 were located within enhancer states;rs3077 and rs9366816 overlapped with nine tran-scription factor-binding sites,whereas rs378352 altered five sequence motifs.Furthermore,eQTL analysis demonstrated the functional tendencies of eight statistically significant SNPs(rs3130542,rs9276370,rs7756516,rs7453920,rs378352,rs3077,rs9277535,and rs9366816). Conclusions:Genetic variations within the 6p21.3 region were associated with chronic HBV infection in the Han Chinese population in southern China.Furthermore,the GCA haplotype including rs9276370,rs7756516,and rs7453920 of HLA-DQ contributed significantly to natural HBV clearance,implying that multiple SNPs exert a cumulative allelic effect on HBV infection.

Objective To develop an intelligent model for differential diagnosis of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia(AVNRT)and atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia(AVRT)using 12-lead wearable electrocardiogram devices.Methods A total of 356 samples of 12-lead supraventricular tachycardia(SVT)electrocardiograms recorded by wearable devices were randomly divided into training and validation sets using 5-fold cross validation to establish the intelligent classification model,and 101 patients with the diagnosis of SVT undergoing electrophysiological studies and radiofrequency ablation from October,2021 to March,2023 were selected as the testing set.The changes in electrocardiogram parameters before and during induced tachycardia were compared.Based on multiscale deep neural network,an intelligent diagnosis model for classifying SVT mechanisms was constructed and validated.The 3-lead electrocardiogram signals from Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and V1 were extracted to build new classification models,whose diagnostic efficacy was compared with that of the 12-lead model.Results Of the 101 patients with SVT in the testing set,68 were diagnosed with AVNRT and 33 were diagnosed with AVRT by electrophysiological study.The pre-trained model achieved a high area under the precision-recall curve(0.9492)and F1 score(0.8195)for identifying AVNRT in the validation set.The total F1 scores of the lead Ⅱ,Ⅲ,V1,3-lead and 12-lead intelligent diagnostic models in the testing set were 0.5597,0.6061,0.3419,0.6003 and 0.6136,respectively.Compared with the 12-lead classification model,the lead-Ⅲ model had a net reclassification index improvement of-0.029(P=0.878)and an integrated discrimination index improvement of-0.005(P=0.965).Conclusion The intelligent diagnostic model based on multiscale deep neural network using wearable electrocardiogram devices has an acceptable accuracy for classifying SVT mechanisms.

Objective To develop an intelligent model for differential diagnosis of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia(AVNRT)and atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia(AVRT)using 12-lead wearable electrocardiogram devices.Methods A total of 356 samples of 12-lead supraventricular tachycardia(SVT)electrocardiograms recorded by wearable devices were randomly divided into training and validation sets using 5-fold cross validation to establish the intelligent classification model,and 101 patients with the diagnosis of SVT undergoing electrophysiological studies and radiofrequency ablation from October,2021 to March,2023 were selected as the testing set.The changes in electrocardiogram parameters before and during induced tachycardia were compared.Based on multiscale deep neural network,an intelligent diagnosis model for classifying SVT mechanisms was constructed and validated.The 3-lead electrocardiogram signals from Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and V1 were extracted to build new classification models,whose diagnostic efficacy was compared with that of the 12-lead model.Results Of the 101 patients with SVT in the testing set,68 were diagnosed with AVNRT and 33 were diagnosed with AVRT by electrophysiological study.The pre-trained model achieved a high area under the precision-recall curve(0.9492)and F1 score(0.8195)for identifying AVNRT in the validation set.The total F1 scores of the lead Ⅱ,Ⅲ,V1,3-lead and 12-lead intelligent diagnostic models in the testing set were 0.5597,0.6061,0.3419,0.6003 and 0.6136,respectively.Compared with the 12-lead classification model,the lead-Ⅲ model had a net reclassification index improvement of-0.029(P=0.878)and an integrated discrimination index improvement of-0.005(P=0.965).Conclusion The intelligent diagnostic model based on multiscale deep neural network using wearable electrocardiogram devices has an acceptable accuracy for classifying SVT mechanisms.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features and etiological results of neonatal central nervous system(CNS) infection and provide basis for optimization of pathogen detection strategy for CNS infection.Methods:We collected the clinical and laboratory data of hospitalized neonates with clinical diagnosis of CNS infection in the neonatal department at Hebei Provincial Children′s Hospital, from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021.The clinical manifestations of the enrolled neonates, as well as the cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)pathogens detected by conventional and molecular biological detection techniques were analyzed.Laboratory characteristics of different kinds of pathogen were compared.Results:A total of 101 eligible neonates were enrolled.The median gestational age was 38.8(36.2, 39.6)weeks, with a prematurity rate 26.7%.There were 68 boys.The median age of onset was 9(2, 14)days.Blood culture was positive in 19(18.8%) cases, including 17 cases of bacteria and two cases of fungus.Positive findings were found in CSF specimens of 33(32.7%)cases by various methods including 13 bacteria, 19 viruses and one fungi.Streptococcus group B and Escherichia coli were the first two bacteria in CSF.Enterovirus was the most common virus in CSF.In terms of detection methods of CSF pathogens, seven cases(7/101, 6.9%) were detected by CSF culture, two cases(2/21, 9.5%)by smear, 22 cases(22/45, 48.9%)by single-virus targeted/multiplex polymerase chain reaction and four cases(4/7, 57.1%)by metagenomic next-generation sequencing.The CSF white blood cell counts, protein levels and blood C-reactive protein levels were higher in the cases with bacteria/fungi detection from CNS infection than in those with virus detection( P<0.05). Almost all neonates(98/101, 97.0%)were clinically cured or significantly improved before discharge.Two neonates were discharged against medical advice and one neonate was transferred to the other hospital after clinical improvement. Conclusion:Combined use of conventional and molecular biological detection techniques can significantly improve the etiological positive rate of neonatal CNS infection.Viral infection is not rare in the neonatal population.Our study demonstrated the spectrum of organism causing neonatal CNS infection, which provided a basis for the optimization of pathogen detection strategy.

Objective:To analyze the temperature difference of benign and malignant parotid gland tumors in preoperative infrared thermography (IRT), and to provide the basis for predicting tumor properties.Methods:The clinical data of 98 patients with parotid gland tumor admitted to the Department of Oral and maxillofacial Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, from May 2021 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 61 males and 37 females, aged (51.1±16.0) years (10-86 years). In addition to routine examination, the temperature difference between the lesion site of parotid gland and the contralateral mirror area was measured by infrared thermal imager in all patients one day before surgery. The maximum diameter (dmax) and location of the tumor (deep or superficial lobe) were recorded according to preoperative clinical examination and imaging examinations such as CT and ultrasound. The patients were divided into three groups by tumor size: dmax≤2 cm, 2 cm4 cm. The patients were also divided into different groups: deep lobe group and superficial lobe group (according to the tumor location), benign group and malignant group (according to postoperative pathological results). The relationship between temperature difference, pathology, size and location was analyzed.Results:There were 79 cases in the benign group and 19 cases in the malignant group. The temperature difference of the healthy and affected side in the malignant group [(1.73±0.21) ℃] was significantly higher than that in the benign group [(0.73±0.32) ℃] ( t=16.70, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in temperature difference between the healthy and affected sides of tumors with different diameters ( P>0.05). The temperature difference of healthy and affected side of tumor in superficial lobe [(0.97±0.50) ℃] was significantly higher than that in deep lobe [(0.67±0.44) ℃] ( t=2.24, P=0.028). Conclusions:The difference of temperature difference between benign and malignant parotid gland tumors detected by IRT is statistically significant, which can be used to predict tumor properties, and has certain clinical application value.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), as the most common type (>90%) of head and neck cancer, includes various epithelial malignancies that arise in the nasal cavity, oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. In 2020, approximately 878 ‍ 000 new cases and 444 000 deaths linked to HNSCC occurred worldwide (Sung et al., 2021). Due to the associated frequent recurrence and metastasis, HNSCC patients have poor prognosis with a five-year survival rate of 40%-50% (Jou and Hess, 2017). Therefore, novel prognostic biomarkers need to be developed to identify high-risk HNSCC patients and improve their disease outcomes.
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/genetics* ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; RNA ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate

Objective:To investigate the differences of umbilical vein diameter(D), time average peak velocity(TAmax) and blood flow between congenital heart disease and normal fetus.Methods:The umbilical vein diameter and time average peak velocity of 69 fetuses with congenital heart disease (disease group) from 22 to 27 weeks were prospectively studied in Maternal-Fetal Medical Center in Fetal Heart Disease of Beijing Anzhen Hospital from May 2021 to September 2021. Q 1 (umbilical venous blood flow) was calculated according to the formular [Q=0.5TAmax·π·(D/2) 2)], and Q 2 (Q 2=Q 1/weight) was calculated according to the fetal weight. At the same time, 111 normal fetuses with matched gestational age were selected as control group. The differences of fetal umbilical vein D, TAmax, Q 1 and Q 2 between the two groups were analyzed. Results:The inner diameter of umbilical vein D, TAmax, Q 1 and Q 2 in the congenital heart disease group were lower than those in the control group(all P<0.05). In the control group, the inner diameter of umbilical vein D, TAmax and Q 1 increased with the increase of gestational age and showed a positive linear correlation( r=0.608, 0.320, 0.626; all P≤0.001), while there was no obvious linear correlation between Q 2 and gestational age( r=0.189, P=0.047). Conclusions:The decrease of umbilical vein D, TAmax, Q 1 and Q 2 in the fetus with congenital heart disease indicates the decrease of effective blood flow in placenta-fetus circulation, which indirectly reflects the decrease of placental function in the fetus with congenital heart disease.