Objective To identify the exact locations of the brain being irradiated in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)patients during radiotherapy,and to analyze the differences in brain dose distribution between advanced NPC patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)and volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT).Methods Based on the CT brain template provided by the Montreal Neurological Institute,the brain dose distribution was analyzed with voxel-based method.Results For advanced NPC patients,VMAT plans did not demonstrate superiority in normal brain tissue sparing,while IMRT performed better,with advantages observed in regions such as the brainstem,the posterior lobe of the cerebellum,the anterior lobe of the cerebellum,temporal lobes,occipital lobes,limbic lobes,and certain areas of the subcortical regions.Conclusion IMRT is advantageous over VMAT in protecting the normal brain tissues in advanced NPC patients.

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy of continuous photoplethysmography algorithms for atrial fibrillation diagnosis and atrial fibrillation burden evaluation via wearable devices.Methods:This study was a self-controlled prospective cohort study. A total of 254 consecutive inpatients were recruited from the Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University from September 2022 to November 2022. All participants were required to wear two devices at the same time: (1) an electrocardiogram (ECG) watch for acquisition of photoplethysmography (watch-recorded-photoplethysmography, W-PPG) and electrocardiogram (watch-recorded-electrocardiogram, W-ECG); (2) an ECG patch for acquisition of electrocardiogram (patch-recorded-electrocardiogram, P-ECG). The results were measured in 30 s data segments and individual participants, separately, which were calculated for sensitivity and specificity by comparing them with the results of expert-read ECG according to the receiver operating characteristic curve. Four groups were separated according to the proportion of the atrial fibrillation burden, and the difference of atrial fibrillation burden from algorithm and expert-read ECG was calculated.Results:All 254 subjects completed the study. The mean age of participants was (63.04±11.04) years old, 99 (38.98%) of them were female, and 97 (38.19%) patients had persistent atrial fibrillation. Expert-read ECG results were taken as standard criteria in all calculations. The P-ECG algorithm had a sensitivity of 94.86% (95% CI: 94.81%-94.91%) and a specificity of 99.30% (95% CI: 99.28%-99.31%) when measured in data segments. The W-PPG algorithm had a sensitivity of 96.07% (95% CI: 95.97%-96.18%) and a specificity of 98.62% (95% CI: 98.59%-98.65%). When measured in terms of individual participants, the P-ECG algorithm had a sensitivity of 92.55% (95% CI: 87.57%-95.71%) and a specificity of 96.39% (95% CI: 93.45%-98.09%), while the W-PPG algorithm had a sensitivity of 93.71% (95% CI: 88.75%-96.67%) and a specificity of 89.62% (95% CI: 85.61%-92.65%). When measured in terms of a single acquisition of W-ECG records, the W-ECG algorithm had a sensitivity of 92.04% (95% CI: 88.14%-94.78%) and a specificity of 96.19% (95% CI: 94.35%-97.47%). For atrial fibrillation burden assessment, the difference between the W-PPG analysis results and the expert-read ECG results was less than 2% in all burden distribution intervals. Conclusions:Continuous photoplethysmography algorithm applied to wearable devices to detect atrial fibrillation is a feasible strategy. Taking expert-read ECG results as standard, continuous monitoring of PPG by a smartwatch is highly accurate for atrial fibrillation diagnosis and can also be used to effectively complete atrial fibrillation burden assessment.

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) during the autumn-winter season in Beijing, providing evidence for the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of ARIs.

The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors holds new promise for patients with small cell lung cancer. Studies have found that PD-L1 expression, tumor mutation burden, genomic characteristics, peripheral blood parameters and other indicators can be used as prognostic predictors in patients with small cell lung cancer receiving immunotherapy. Further exploration and evaluation of relevant predictors can provide a reference for screening patients with potential benefits of immunotherapy.

  Objective  Different from other etiologies of early-onset scoliosis (EOS), congenital early-onset scoliosis (CEOS) is mainly linked to vertebral anomalies, such as formation failures and segmentation failures at the apex segments. So far, there is little research on CEOS patients who have completed traditional growing rods (TGR) treatment, and the initial outcomes of TGR with or without apical control technique (ACT) are different. Therefore, we compared the "final" results of CEOS patients who completed TGR treatment with or without ACT.  Methods  We conducted a retrospective study of CEOS patients who completed TGR treatment from 2007—2020. They either had final fusion or were followed up after reaching skeletal maturity. We split the patients into two groups based on whether they had ACT with TGR or not. The ACT-TGR group had apical vertebrectomy/hemivertebrectomy with short fusion and TGR. The TGR-only group had only TGR. We looked at their demographic features, radiographic measurements, and complications.  Results  This study enrolled 46 CEOS patients, of which 13 patients were in the ACT-TGR group and 33 patients in the TGR group. The ACT-TGR group had a longer distraction interval (1.17 years vs. 0.75 years). The ACT-TGR group had a larger preoperative main curve [87.00(63.50, 98.00)], but the residual curve degrees were comparable between the two groups at the last follow-up (P=0.354). At the last follow-up, the T1-12 and T1-S1 heights were similar between the two groups. The ACT-TGR group had a lower number of implant-related complications per patient (0.77 vs. 1.48). Three patients in the ACT-TGR group underwent final fusion, while 17 patients in the TGR group underwent final fusion (P=0.060).  Conclusions  Both ACT-TGR and traditional TGR coud effectively correct deformity and preserve spinal growth in CEOS patients. ACT-TGR had a better corrective effect on patients with severe deformity and did not have a significant impact on spinal height. For patients with acceptable correction, spontaneous fusion and without implant failure, retaining the implant and continuing observation could be a strategy for graduating from growing rod treatment.

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a major cause of liver injury. Neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 4-1 (NEDD4-1) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous liver diseases; however, its role in APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the role of NEDD4-1 in the pathogenesis of AILI. We found that NEDD4-1 was dramatically downregulated in response to APAP treatment in mouse livers and isolated mouse hepatocytes. Hepatocyte-specific NEDD4-1 knockout exacerbated APAP-induced mitochondrial damage and the resultant hepatocyte necrosis and liver injury, while hepatocyte-specific NEDD4-1 overexpression mitigated these pathological events both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, hepatocyte NEDD4-1 deficiency led to marked accumulation of voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) and increased VDAC1 oligomerization. Furthermore, VDAC1 knockdown alleviated AILI and weakened the exacerbation of AILI caused by hepatocyte NEDD4-1 deficiency. Mechanistically, NEDD4-1 was found to interact with the PPTY motif of VDAC1 through its WW domain and regulate K48-linked ubiquitination and degradation of VDAC1. Our present study indicates that NEDD4-1 is a suppressor of AILI and functions by regulating the degradation of VDAC1.

Objective:To explore the association between weight status and early changes in blood pressure, cardiac structure and function in children at 4 years of age.Methods:A cross-sectional study of the relationship between weight status and cardiovascular parameters was performed on the platform of "Shanghai Birth Cohort" in Shanghai Xinhua Hospital between 2017 and 2020. Height, weight, blood pressure and echocardiography were measured in 1 477 children at 4 years of age. According to body mass index (BMI), participants were classified into five groups: underweight, lean, normal weight, overweight and obese. Blood pressure, cardiac structure and function indexes were compared among different groups using one-way ANOVA. The associations between blood pressure, cardiac structure and function and weight status in children were analyzed by linear regression models. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze whether weight status was an independent risk factor for elevated blood pressure or left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in children.Results:A total of 1 477 children including 772 boys and 705 girls were included in this study. There were 115 overweight and obese boys (14.9%) and 68 overweight and obese girls (9.6%). The majority of children had normal weight (916 cases, 62.0%), followed by underweight (303 cases, 20.5%), overweight (130 cases, 8.8%), lean (75 cases, 5.1%), and obese (53 cases, 3.6%). With the increase of BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular posterior wall thickness in systole, left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole, left ventricular diameter in end-systole, left ventricular diameter in end-diastole, interventricular septum thickness in systole and left ventricular ejection fraction showed significantly positive trend, and the differences among the groups were significant (F=31.73, 6.59, 14.22, 4.96, 3.01, 31.50, 39.79, 5.91, 3.09, all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that overweight and obese were all positively associated with systolic blood pressure (β=5.2, 95% CI 3.6-6.8), LVMI (β=1.9, 95% CI 0.8-3.1), left ventricular diameter in end-systole (β=1.3, 95% CI 0.9-1.8), and left ventricular diameter in end-diastole (β=1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.2). In the Logistic regression model, compared with normal weight children, overweight ( OR=2.37, 95% CI 1.37-4.41) and obese children ( OR=10.90, 95% CI 4.47-26.60) both had significantly increased risk of elevated blood pressure. However, the risk of LVH did not significantly increased. Conclusions:Overweight and obesity in 4-year-old children are associated with increased blood pressure, increased left ventricle diameter and LVMI. Overweight and obesity are independent risk factors for elevated blood pressure in children at 4 years of age.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) over 75 years. A total of 82 patients with AF who underwent LAAO successfully in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from March 2014 to March 2019 were divided into two groups according to age: the elderly group (aged>75 years) and the young group (aged ≤75 years). Risk of perioperative complications and incidence of ischemic stroke and major bleeding during follow-up were retrospectively analyzed. The results showed that there were no significant differences in procedure-related ischemic stroke(0 vs.1.6%, P=0.768) and major bleeding (0 vs.1.6%, P=0.768) during perioperative period between the two groups. No complications as death or pericardial tamponade occurred in the two group. During a (25.9±15.9) months period of followed up, ischemic stroke event rate was 3.6/100 person-years in the elderly group and 4.9/100 person-years in the young group, respectively. Major bleeding event rate was 2.5/100 person-years in the elderly group and 0/100 person-years in the young group, respectively. Compared with the expected ones, the relative risk reduction (RRR) of stroke in the elderly group was more profound than that in the young group (32.0% vs. 25.0%), while the risk of major bleeding in the young group was significantly lower than that in the elderly group (RRR 100% vs. 56.9%). Therefore, LAAO might be suitable for stroke prevention in the elderly AF patients.

Objective:To study the alterations of autonomic nervous function in patients with major depression disorder, and to observe the relationship of their gastric electrical activity with the duration of depression, its severity and gastrointestinal symptoms.Methods:Electrogastrography (EGG) was performed before and after a test meal ingestion in 38 depressive patients and 38 healthy control subjects.The severity of depression was evaluated through Hamilton depression scale(HAMD-21) and Beck depression inventory(BDI). Autonomic symptoms were recorded by autonomic nervous symptom-score(ANS-score).Results:The amount of tachygastria in patients with depression before and after test meal were (24.99±1.73)%, (23.66±1.86)% respectively, the amount of tachygastria in healthy controls before and after test meal were(19.80±1.65)%, (15.48±1.50)% respectively.There was a significant group effect ( F(1, 148)=15.6, P=0.0001)) between the two groups.The amount of tachygastria between the two groups before and after test meal were significant different (before test meal P=0.033, after test meal P=0.001). The main power in patients with depression before and after test meal were(21.20±2.71)dB, (20.90±2.66)dB respectively, the main power in healthy controls before and after test meal were(26.45±2.62)dB, (28.94±2.68)dB respectively.There was a significant group effect ( F(1, 148)=6.203, P=0.014) between the two groups.The main power between the two groups after test meal were significant different( P=0.037). The percentage of arrythmia after test meal in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms(5.17±0.56)% was higher than the patients without gastrointestinal symptoms(3.19±0.46)%, the differences were statistically significant( P=0.011). And there was a significant difference ( P=0.029)of the instability coefficient of main power after test meal between the patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (0.44±0.06) and the patients without gastrointestinal symptoms (0.27±0.05). Besides, there was a significant positive correlation between duration of depression and percentage of postprandial tachycardia( r=0.491, P=0.002). Conclusion:Patients with depression have autonomic nerve dysfunction and abnormal gastric motility, which is related to the duration of the disease and whether the patients are accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms.Electrogastrography can also be used as an index to measure autonomic nervous function in patients with depression.

Objective: To explore the virulence related risk factors based on the enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) genome. Methods: The pairwise distance of each section of gene between mild and fatal cases was analyzed. The ⅴ domain of 5′UTR from mild and fatal cases in this study were constructed. Amino acid sequences of EV-A71 were analyzed to find the potential virulence regions which were statistically different between fatal and mild cases. Results: The two EV-A71 genome sequences in this study belonged to C4a genotype with the genomic homology of 96.2%-97.5%. The nucleotides in the ⅴ domains of the 5 ′UTR of EV-A71 from mild and fatal cases were the same. Each gene of EV-A71 from 31 mild cases and 30 fatal cases shared high homology. A total of four potential virulence sites (2 A: R68 M、2C: K41R、3 A: T/V47 A and 3C: I158 V) which were significantly different between mild cases and fatal cases were obtained. Conclusions The four sites in the unstructured protein coding region might be related with the virulence of EV-A71.